HOUSE Deputy Speaker Benny Abante urged officials and members of Sangguniang Kabataan in every barangay to launch education and information campaigns against gambling to keep the youth away from vices.

Abante said that with the enactment of the SK Reform Act, youth leaders have more responsibilities.

“With more benefits come more responsibilities,” he said.

Abante called on SK officials to conduct programs and activities that will discourage the youth from gambling, smoking and other vices that can destroy their life.

“Gambling, in particular, appears to be hooking more and more younger people. Before the President ordered a stop to e-sabong, we were getting disturbing news of teenagers regularly placing bets on online cockfighting,” the lawmaker said.

“More should be done to warn our youth about the dangers of vices such as gambling, which is slowly creeping into their lives via the devices they hold in their hands every day: their smartphones,” he added.