FELLOW Superbalita columnist Lawyer Eddie Barrita, a beer drinker, joked: “We should continue drinking beer because, in the process, we are helping the workers of the beer industry and their families. If we will stop drinking beer, the beer manufacturing business’ income will decline and if their income will decline, the tendency is that the company will terminate and lay off workers. What will happen to the families of those laid-off workers? Their family income will be affected and their children will stop going to school. So, we must continue patronizing beer because we are helping people.” You are correct, Atty. Edbar. And cheers to that!
The same can be said of the government-sponsored legalized gambling, such as the lotto six-digit draw and swertres, run by the Philippine Charity Sweeptakes Office (PCSO), a government-owned and -controlled corporation. PCSO, which is under the Office of the President, is mandated to raise revenue for the Presidential Social Fund for health programs, including medical assistance and other services for the underprivileged sectors in our society. People who are in dire need of financial assistance for their hospital and medical needs will run to the PCSO and ask for help.
So we have to patronize government-sponsored legalized gambling for one, hoping to hit the jackpot; and, two, we are helping those who are in need of financial help for their hospital and medical needs. “Para sa kawang-gawa,” as they say. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has a similar advocacy.
I must admit, I used to bet on the six-digit lotto draw. I have maintained numbers and I should see to it that I bet on them in every draw. My biggest loss was when the jackpot prize went up to almost P1 billion. I think that was early this year. I followed it every draw since the jackpot prize started at P100 million. I would really set aside a few thousand pesos for that specific draw, hoping and praying to hit the jackpot. I only won four digits in some draws. After that, I stop betting on the lotto draw. At least with my bets, I was able to contribute a little to the PCSO social funds for the needy.
Mao ni rason nga “kwenanggol” aron lang maka-justify sa pagka-sugarol sama sa logic ni Atty. Barrita.
Last Friday, July 26, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the temporary suspension of all kinds of gambling that got their permits and franchises from the PCSO like lotto, Small Town Lottery (STL) and Peryahan ng Bayan, citing massive corruption in the agency. The President did not categorically explain the nature of massive corruption in the agency, which is directly under his office. But sources said some PCSO-run gambling operations, specially STL operators, make money for themselves and only very little percentage of their proceeds go to the government’s coffer.
STL was conceptualized to compete and kill the proliferation of illegal numbers game like jueteng in Luzon and masiao in the Visayas and Mindanao. However, it has not served its purpose and instead became a vehicle for corruption in the agency. The PCSO management issued permits and licenses to private individuals and most of them are allegedly gambling lords and their dummies. Illegal gambling has become legal because of the legitimate permits issued by PCSO to operators, but only a small percentage of their income goes to the government.
“Pending investigation, lahat ho ng lotto, STL, Peryahan ng Bayan or whatever nature. There is one, yung gambling machine, Keno, I said all gaming activities, yung gambling that got their franchise from government through PSCO are as of today suspended or terminated because of massive corruption. Wala akong magawa, I have to do this,” a part of the President’s directive said.
We don’t know until when this directive would be lifted so the PCSO can resume its normal operations. But will the investigation help cleanse the agency from massive corruption?