Manila, Aug. 5 -- Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Tuesday urged the House of Representatives to muster enough courage "to put an end to the silent epidemic of online gambling."

In a privilege speech, the Mindanao lawmaker told his colleagues that he could not remain silent as Filipino families are being torn apart and devastated by the digital plague of online gambling, including e-sabong.

"The numbers and stories paint a disturbing reality. Gambling, once confined to casinos and cockpits, now hides in our mobile phones -- accessible 24/7 to our people, including children and the youth, often with no age restrictions, and just a click away from financial ruin. Today, any person, even a minor, can register on a g...