STL killing illegal numbers game – PCSO
PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan confirmed Small Town Lottery is killing the illegal numbers games adding this could be a reason why PCSO is now under fire, and for the office to placed in a bad light.
Balutan said the STL has been killing illegal numbers game such as jueteng that used to collect a rough estimate of P2.37 billion a month.
“Our STL with 92 approved Authorized Agent Corporations but only 84 are operating is providing the Duterte government a whopping up to P2 billion a month. Eto ang gusto ng tandem ni Cam at Ang na tibagin at hawakan ang operasyon ng STL nationwide. Unti-unti na kasing namamatay ang jueteng,” Balutan said.
“The aggressive implementation of the expanded STL is now stricking hard against illegal numbers game such as jueteng,” Balutan stressed.
Balutan said this amid a demolition job by former jueteng bagman and whistleblower Sandra Cam and gambling operator Charlie Ang against the government-sanctioned lottery game.
The general manager revealed that Cam earlier accompanied Ang to him and to the office of Corpuz shortly after they assumed their positions.
The jueteng whistleblower and the gambling operator, Balutan said, offered to operate STL nationwide in exchange for P200 million in monthly remittances.
The offer was promptly rejected, Balutan said.
In 2017, STL has earned P18 billion, a far cry from the proposed P200 million in monthly remittances proposed by Ang.
The expanded STL was created as an instrument to eradicate illegal gambling and over a year the lottery was aggressively killing jueteng, masiao, swertres and other forms of illegal numbers game.
He claimed Ang and Cam, who was recently appointed to the PCSO board, wants to destroy STL in particular and the PCSO in general.
Ang and Cam were “known figures in the world of illegal numbers games” the PCSO said.
Balutan claimed Cam wanted to become chairman or general manager of PCSO so Ang would have a hand in manipulating the systems of the lottery games.
He said the STL is a big blow against jueteng that had used to collect an estimated P2.37 billion a month.
“This jueteng pays no taxes to the government. It’s all money in the pockets of gambling lords like Atong Ang and their protectors,” he said.
“Sa STL and other lottery games ng PCSO like Lotto, Keno and Sweepstakes PCSO pay taxes. From January to November this year, nagbayad na tayo ng tax sa halagang P7,072,167,390.61,”
Balutan said.
He added that 30 percent from the STL revenues automatically goes to the charity fund to finance free dialysis and chemo treatments, hospital bills, free medicines, among others of patients specially indigents.
From January to November, PCSO has registered 356,520 beneficiaries, compared to the 269, 312 beneficiaries in the same period of 2016, from its Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP). The agency has spent a total amount of P7,026,901,528.
“Maybe this week or next week to be sure, we will be reporting to the President and to the Filipino people the exact amount of our 2017 STL revenues. What we have for now is from January to November in the amount o f P13,946,261,327.08,” Balutan said.
Our STL is a potent source of income to finance the Duterte government’s free medical services to Filipinos specially the indigents,” Balutan added. PR