PCSO closure temporary
Credit to Author: CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT| Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 16:20:23 +0000
The closure of the lottery and other games operated by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is only temporary, Malacañang said on Monday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said lotto, keno and other PCSO games would remain closed until the government concludes its investigation of the supposed “massive corruption” within the agency
Panelo, in a radio interview, said President Duterte was “thoroughly” investigating the alleged corruption at the PCSO. He assured the public that the probe would be swift.
“Sabi nga ni Presidente, iniimbestigahan niyang maigi para malaman niya at matukoy niya kung sino ‘yung mga involved at i-a-identify niya lahat sa lalong madaling panahon (The President said that he is investigating it thoroughly so he can determine the people involved and he would identify them immediately),” Panelo said.
“Until such time na hindi pa natatapos ang imbestigasyon, sarado muna lahat (While the investigation is ongoing, all outlets will be closed),” the Palace official added.
Asked how long the PCSO outlets would stay closed, Panelo said, “Si Presidente naman mabilis e. Kita mo mabilis agad ‘yung order niyang ipasarado (The President acts quickly. You saw how fast his order was in shutting down the outlets).”
He added that before stopping all PCSO games, the President met with the agency’s general manager, Royina Garma.
Panelo advised Filipinos seeking financial or medical aid to go to the Office of the President.
“’Yung mga request nila will be redirected sa (Their request will be redirected to) Pagcor ‘tsaka sa (and the) Office of the President, and other agencies at magre-respond tayo sa kanilang mga hininging tulong (and we will respond to the assistance they need),” Panelo said, referring to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., a government-owned and -controlled corporation under the Office of the President that regulates casinos.
“Gagawa lang sila ng sulat o sa pamamagitan ng (They will just have to write a letter or use) whatever means na makakarating sa mga binaggit kong opisina ang kanilang mga hinaing o paghingi ng tulong (and their request for assistance will be redirected to the offices I mentioned),” he added.
Panelo earlier said the President had discovered a “grand conspiracy” among officials, stakeholders and enforcers of the PCSO games to cheat the government of its rightful income.
“I think the government loses 60 to 70 percent. But if the scoundrels make money off it, for him, why should we implement this kind of project?” the Palace official added.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the President wanted to clean the PCSO by investigating its contracts before making a decision whether or not to lift wholly or partially the closure order.
In a brief interview, Go said the President knew well that indigent Filipinos depend on the PCSO in their medical and hospitalization expenses.
Go said there were many contracts entered into by the PCSO that Duterte wanted to investigate because they supposedly prejudiced the government’s interests.
Asked how soon the President would lift the closure order, Go said the public should wait for the conclusion of the investigation.
He said he would wait for the result of the President’s probe before he would initiate a Senate inquiry into the PCSO mess.
Appeal
On Monday, a group of online lottery agents appealed the President’s closure order.
Philippine Online Lottery Agents Association Inc. President Evelyn Javier sought a dialogue with Duterte. She said lotto should have been spared from the order because lottery operations were not anomalous.
The Pacific Online Systems Corp. also expressed hope that the President would soon lift the closure order.
Pacific Online is the lessor of the online lottery system being used by PCSO for its lotto operations in the Visayas and Mindanao. Its subsidiary, Total Gaming Technologies Inc., provides the equipment for the PCSO’s keno game nationwide.
Pacific Online said it fully supports the PCSO in its efforts to seek the President’s reconsideration of his decision.
“The negative impact of the suspension on the ability of PCSO to raise funds for its charity works; on the lives of thousands of our countrymen, whose livelihood are connected — directly or indirectly — with PCSO’s gaming operations; as well as on the operations of the corporation and its subsidiaries are inestimable at this point, and the corporation can only hope that the suspension will be lifted sooner rather than later,” Pacific Online said.
WITH JOE JAVIER ISMAEL, ANNA LEAH E. GONZALES AND JOSHUA VERA CRUZ