Senator Applauds Takedown of Online Gambling Promotion
Senator Joel Villanueva has praised the recent removal of social media pages promoting illegal online gambling, calling it a significant step in the fight against this growing problem. The crackdown targeted around 20 influencer pages with large followings, some reaching millions, following a coordinated effort by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, Meta Philippines, and the advocacy group Digital Pinoys.
“Public figures have a huge responsibility, especially when it comes to promoting what is morally right,” Villanueva said. He emphasized that endorsements related to online gambling should be explicitly prohibited in contracts with public figures to prevent promotion of this harmful activity.
Legislative Efforts to Ban Online Gambling
Villanueva initially filed Senate Bill No. 1281, the “Anti-Online Gambling Act,” in 2022. Although it did not pass during the 19th Congress, the senator has refiled the measure as Senate Bill No. 47 in the 20th Congress, signaling his continued commitment to address the issue.
“We first filed in the 19th Congress. For a long time, we felt like we were the only voice in the void,” Villanueva remarked in Filipino. “With the increasing number of those proposing to stop online gambling and any type of gambling that is further plunging our countrymen into poverty and the destruction of families, we will focus on this in this 20th Congress.”
Online Gambling: A Growing National Crisis
During the “Kapihan sa Manila Bay” forum on July 16, Villanueva described online gambling as an escalating national crisis. “This is worse than POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators). A quicksand that is slowly burying us alive,” he warned.
The senator’s remarks highlight the urgent need to curb the influence and spread of online gambling, which continues to affect many Filipino families adversely.
For more news and updates on online gambling promotion, visit Filipinokami.com.
