House to PCSO: Show proof funds don’t go to rich patients

The House Committee on Games and Amusement has asked the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to present its record of beneficiaries to the charity fund as the House panel launched its probe into reports that rich patients confined in the country’s most expensive hospitals have accessed funds meant for indigents.

Cavite 4th District Representative Elpidio Barzaga, who chairs the committee, directed officials of the PCSO to show proof that would belie allegations that certain members of the lot-

tery agency’s board have caused the allocation of huge amounts of charity fund to patients who could afford their hospital bills or have been hospitalized in expensive medical centers.

Barzaga issued the order during Wednesday’s resumption of congressional hearings on alleged anomalies in the PCSO operations, particularly the disbursement of charity funds and the small town lottery operations.

Barzaga asked PCSO General Manager Ferdinand Rojas to present in next week’s hearing the record of financial assistance given to “indigent” patients of St. Luke’s Medical Center.

The veteran administration lawmaker described as “disturbing” the reports that patients who clearly could afford their medical expenses and are admitted in private rooms have received financial assistance from the PCSO.

During the hearing, PCSO Chairman Erineo Maliksi assured the Lower House that the PCSO will impose stricter measure to flush out and block illegal gambling operators from further accessing small town lottery (STL) operations.

Maliksi said it is high time for the state-run lottery agency to address allegations that the STL operations in the country are being used as mere fronts of jueteng and other forms of illegal numbers games.

Barzaga welcomed Maliksi’s bid to cleanse the STL operations of illegal gambling, saying that support from law enforcement agencies is imperative.

PCSO books disclosed that STL operation is only at 4.7 billion in 2014 with lotto getting collecting P29 billion for the same year.

However, Maliksi noted that only 320 million in STL proceeds actually go to charity fund.

Raising money for charity, particularly the sick and the needy, is a primary objective of the PCSO, said Maliksi.

During the hearing, Maliksi also assailed alleged speculations raised against his bid to impose stricter measures to raise charity money from STL.

There had been talk that Maliksi’s exposes against STL irregularities were intended at paving the way for the entry of a friend to control the gaming operations.

“I want PCSO to be reorganized to pursue its mandate to give more charity to the poor, onsistent to the legacy of this administration,” the former Cavite governor stated, referring to the administration of President Aquino.