With millions of voters who went to the polls for the long-delayed barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante Jr. appealed to the elected leaders of the nation’s 42,001 barangays to “be the country’s champions against vice” as he warned against the “normalization” of vices such as gambling and tobacco use.
“It has been long established that gambling and tobacco use—in all its different forms—are bad for the mental and physical health of those who lose themselves to these vices,” Abante said.
“Our new barangay officials should spearhead programs and campaigns that will educate them about the negative impact of tobacco use and gambling.”
“Since we know these are not beneficial to our constituents, our new barangay officials should spearhead programs and campaigns that will educate them about the negative impact of tobacco use and gambling,” the veteran legislator stressed.
The seasoned lawmaker lamented that despite government laws intended to discourage its population from smoking, according to the Philippines Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 19.5% of Filipinos are current tobacco users. The same study revealed that 18.5% smoke tobacco products while 1.5% use smokeless tobacco products.
He also raised the alarm about the increasing accessibility of gambling via online platforms like e-sabong are “hooking Filipinos young and old”.
“If PAGCOR earns P640 million a month––a month!––from e-sabong, one can imagine how many Filipinos regularly place bets online.”
“We do not have exact data on how many of our countrymen gamble, but if PAGCOR earns P640 million a month––a month!––from e-sabong, one can imagine how many Filipinos regularly place bets online,” Abante noted.
Barangay and SK officials, he added, “should endeavor to establish vice-free zones in their communities and encourage their constituents to embrace healthy lifestyles and build positive habits.”
“The erosion of our values can either be prevented or abetted in our communities. I pray that our new barangay leaders choose to shield our people from the temptations of vice,” Abante stressed.
A total of 672,432 positions are up for grabs in the BSKE, with more than 1.4 million candidates vying for posts in the country’s 42,001 barangays.
