Of gambling and BBL

“By gaming we lose both our time and treasure – two things most precious to the life of man.” – Felltham
“PCSO mulls more lottery games.” – headline

DO you know that before Martial Law, gambling was a crime and punishable by both imprisonment and fine under Articles 195-199 of the Revised Penal Code? But by the simple expediency of Presidential Decrees, the conjugal dictatorship of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos and his wife Imelda abolished those crimes known as gambling and changed it with what US President Washington called as “…the child of avarice, the brother of inequity, and the father of mischief.”

Thanks to the legalized gambling handled by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, we are now among the top gambling destinations of the world. To my humble and uncomplicated mind, what is sad and lamentable is that the Church seems not to be bothered by it.

During the People Power in 1986, when the world was awed by our uncommon valor, did not our politicians shout at the top of their voices: “No more martial law and never again?” How come, our politicians of today are poised to approve in the coming days the stupidity of allowing more legalized gambling? Will our church just watch in the sidelines with arms akimbo, patiently waiting and breathelessly expecting for the SUVs from the PCSO to provide its leaders comfort and in style in their solemn obligation to propagate the teachings that “poverty is no sin” and God must have loved the poor as He has created so many of them.

Be that as it may, what is worst is that both houses of Congress are determined to receive their campaign funds from Malaysia and the poor men’s hard-earned taxes by approving the constitutionally flawed BBL before the end of this Congress. For the nth time, allow me to repeat: Mindanaoans love the peace-loving Bangsamoro people in Mindanao even as we are prepared as well to offer our lives against the BBL. What is needed is a constitutional convention for the coming into being of a federal form of government for all Pinoys, not just the conjoined MILF-Biff arrogant warmongers. Not on our lives, this much I can say, without fear of contradiction among the poor Mindanaoans.

This being so, I can only hope and pray that the Church to which I belong aggressively starts to stop the evils brought about by gambling which, to my humble mind, is as pernicious if not, worse than the RH Law which has only succeeded in the proliferation of parental irresponsibility and promiscuity among all walks of life and age as well as the proposed BBL which aims to make us, the majority in Mindanao, second-class citizens and perpetually displaced in our own homeland.
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“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” – Lincoln
Because 90 percent of us, Pinoys, are poor and our national and local leaders have chained us to perpetual poverty, a good many of our countrymen gamble, not because of laziness but they do so, ironically, for survival. But what is sad and pathetic is that the Pinoys are known all over the world as hard-working-jolly-good people. The living proof of our industriousness is that our OFWs are the most sought-after workers and even executives abroad.

Yes, we’ve got what it takes to be on the top of the world. The only reason why we are still among the poorest in practically all of Asia is because we have never tried having a leader from Mindanao.

The late Vice President Maning Pelaez was almost there. But he chose virtue over gold and principles over gamesmanship. We all know by now that no amount of gamesmanship can change the surging tide of a Mindanaoan President on May 9, 2016. All that we have to do is prove to the world once more that our country has finally decided to reclaim our lost glory in all of Asia.

Enough of Imperial Manila and oligarchy! Undoubtedly, the poor Pinoys are truly the sovereign. All that we have to do is to stand up and be counted. Show to the world that we do not need truck- loads of money to win the presidency. In fact, on May 9, 2016, all the money of the filthy rich and the trapos will be returned to where they rightfully belong––to the poor tax payers. We will show to the world once again that “sovereignty resides in the people and all authority emanate from them.”

Believe you me, the PCOS and the gamesmanship by the filthy rich and the trapos notwithstanding, we shall win convincingly, without any money from the filthy rich and the trapos.  All that we need is the will to win by a landslide.  Sobra ka na, Imperial Manila. Sa Mindanao na ta! Tsada, di ba?
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“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, nothing shall be impossible unto to you.” – Matthew 17:20
“In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do to me.” –Psalms LVI. 11
Thank you Lord for everything. And Lord God, kindly implant especially in our leaders, honesty, humility, transparency and hard work in their solemn task as our servant-leaders because those who have less in life are the sovereign and the very source of their borrowed power and wealth. Finally, Lord, enlighten us all to see the light that greed is a flawed way of life. For truly, there is more profit in giving than in taking. For it is in giving that we receive. Truly, love begets love. Amen!

(Call or text 09188030197, e-mail to bagabuyos@yahoo.com, and check out please join iluvmindanao.org.com)