Hands off the cookie jar

HEN the Palace said that it would look into the word war at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes the alleged maneuverings of Charlie “Atong” Ang to undermine the Small Town Lottery (STL) and the Philippine government’s weapons against illegal gambling, primarily

And it has been effective, so far. While cynics point out that STL and are both gambling, it should be stressed that the key difference is between legal and illegal. STL is legal, and its revenues go the government. The PCSO paid P7 billion in taxes from January to November 2017 that was generated by its operations that include STL. on the other hand, is illegal. As such, there is no accounting of the monies earned, and worse, the as organized crime and even terrorism. Of course, there is also graft and corruption and other ways of undermining our democracy. Because has been around for generations, many Filipinos dismiss it and other forms of illegal gambling as benign. But they do so without actually grasping the grave social, political and economic consequences.

Atong Ang concedes that he is a gambling lord, albeit a legal one. Repeatedly, he swears that he has never engaged in illegal forms of gambling. And yet, he has been unable to shake off that shady-character image ever since he entered the during the 1998 presidential campaign in a video released to the media showing him gambling at the Casino Filipino at the Heritage Hotel with then Vice President Joseph Ejercito Estrada. The latter went on to win that election, and Ang then President Estrada, of plunder.

More recently, Atong Ang has been associated with Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. (MVGC). PCSO had ordered that company to stop its numbers game offerings, because it was competing with the government-sanctioned STL operations in Albay province. Also this year, PCSO accused Meridien of illegally operating in Cagayan Valley. These were not the only times that Meridien has ran afoul of the government. In the past, local and church leaders have protested against it. To be fair, Mr. Ang swears that he is not the owner of Meridien, only its consultant. But apparently, the locals and the authorities have a different perception of his actual role.

Actions and intentions

Back to the PCSO. Atong Ang has been associated with Sandra Cam, whose claim to fame was that of a bagwomanturned- whistleblower. She ran but lost as a senatorial candidate on the Duterte ticket, and was reportedly being considered – or was that aspiring – to be PCSO chairman. And when she was recently appointed to the sweepstakes board, Cam announced that she would clean up the PCSO.

Well and good. But soon after her appointment, she reportedly visited PCSO chairman with Mr. Ang in tow. This story was supported by a photo of Mr. Ang in the chairman’s paper. According to the PCSO, Ms Cam and Mr. Ang offered to operate STL nationwide in exchange for a monthly remittance of P200 million. At present, STL earns up to P2 billion a month. Not surprisingly, that offer was rejected. The new board member’s action begs the question, what is the nature of her association with Mr. Ang? At least in bashing PCSO and its present management, they have been working in concert. And what is their true aim? What has it got to do with STL and related efforts to eradicate

It may be naïve to expect clear and truthful answers. But without question, the PCSO should be off limits to those with vested interests and their puppets.