THE PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) revealed on Tuesday that it uses its confidential funds to curb the proliferation of illegal gambling in the country.
Appearing before the House Committee on Appropriations, PCSO Board Secretary Reymar H. Santiago confirmed that they have P100 million in confidential funds for 2023, of which P25M has already been utilized to “gather information regarding illegal gambling activities in the provinces.”
“We considered those illegal number games [bookies, jueteng, small-town lottery] as a competitor of PCSO, that’s one of the challenges we are facing for the ops of our gaming,” PCSO Assistant General Manager Lauro A. Patiag told the committee.
However, none of the resource speakers explained details on utilization of the confidential funds, which is under the control of the PCSO general manager. The effort to arrest illegal gambling is coordinated with law enforcement agencies, said Mr. Santiago.
Both PCSO General Manager Melquiades A. Robles and Chairman Junie E. Cua were not present in the hearing, criticism from some legislators.
“I feel insulted that the big bosses of the government-owned and controlled corporation known as PCSO wouldn’t attend the budget hearings,” Antipolo Rep. Romeo M. Acop told the committee.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers blamed the PCSO’s “laxed policy” as the reason why illegal gambling remains rampant. “If they have a confidential fund purposely to help assist in the eradication of illegal gambling, they’re probably not performing very well,” Mr. Barbers said.
The House panel suspended the August 14 hearings on the PCSO’s budget after errors were noted in its accounts. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
