Sun.Star: Church stages protest versus STL in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY - A city-wide caravan against Small Town Lottery (STL) will take place here Wednesday. Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra of the Diocese of Bacolod will lead the caravan that will start at the Capitol Lagoon and will pass through the Bacolod City Hall before proceeding to the public plaza for a culmination program and cause presentation. Navarra invites all the priests in the Diocese, students and other Catholic faithfuls in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City to join the caravan. "The caravan will drum up people's awareness to rally against STL," said a lady staff from the Diocese's Social Action Center (SAC). The decision in holding a caravan against STL was hatched after the City Government with Mayor Evelio Leonardia approved a resolution endorsing STL operations in Bacolod. Leonardia stressed STL is like bingo and lotto, which are also allowed in Bacolod and in other cities such as Cadiz, Talisay, Silay and Victorias and the towns of EB Magalona, Manapla, among others. Bishop Navarra, however, said that STL will only siphon the money of the poor. And it will only become a "milking cow" for some local politicians. It might also be a potent source of corruption in Bacolod soon, Navarra added. Thus he vowed to continue his cause in opposing STL in Bacolod. Evil Also joining the Catholic Church for this anti-STL cause is the Church of Christ Central, a protestant church pastored by Emmanuel Alano. Alano maintains affiliation with SAC especially on matter of corruption. "In Romans 13 is very clear that government should uphold what is good and punish what is evil. We perceived STL as evil because of the harm it can cause even to young children in every homes. The city government should have 'judged' this endorsement as evil," Alano said. Alano vowed to come up with a position paper expressing opinion of the Protestants. - Sun.Star