MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- Continued senate investigation into alleged misuses of the funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Philippines' gaming authority on lottery, revealed that policemen and congressmen receive shares from the profits of the PCSO's Small Town Lottery (STL) operations.
According to reports presented by the current PCSO management to the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations headed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III, police chiefs received 5% while congressmen received 2.25% of profits in districts and provinces were STL games were operated.
Surprised senators ordered PCSO to submit a list of congressmen who partake from the STL profits including how much they get. The committee also ordered the presence of police generals in the next hearing so that they could also be asked about the profit share they get from STL.
Another senator, Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada revealed that from December 2007 to March 2008, PCSO shelled some Php 7 million to congressmen as their STL shares.
According to Sen. Guingona, there was no transparency in the STL revenue sharing scheme. He added that there was no monitoring on whether the STL shares received by congressmen went into charity or welfare.
Small Town Lottery was established by PCSO to combat the widespread popularity of illegal numbers games like jueteng in Luzon and Metro Manila, and masiao in Visayas and Mindanao. It was revealed that the past PCSO management, with the approval of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, diverted PCSO charity funds into an "intelligence fund" that was used to support the STL fight against jueteng. The authenticity of the intelligence fund is now being questioned in the ongoing senate hearings.
The state lottery agency has been under heavy scrutiny these previous weeks after exposés revealed anomalous transactions, and other scandals such as the delayed and uneven distribution of ambulances, the existence of pre-made charity letters, unlimited advertising budgets, and the favoring of Catholic Church bishops with vehicles.
Source: The Manila Times
Posted: July 19, 2011
