Police to check legality of STL in Bacolod

THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will coordinate with the city officials to determine the legality of the operation of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in Bacolod.

Police Colonel Ariel Pico, spokesperson of BCPO, said they already discussed in their meeting yesterday at the BCPO Headquarters the operation of STL in the city.

He said they will check the implementing rules and regulations of the STL since there were some changes in the provisions.

“We will check first the IRR if they are allowed to operate here or not,” he added.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) earlier ordered Super Lucky Beagler Inc. (SLBI) to resume its operation of the STL in Negros Occidental effective September 1.

The STL operation in the province and other parts of the country was stopped last month upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Other operators of STL in other provinces have reportedly not yet resumed operations due to pending review of their contracts.

The STL draws are held in Silay City.

For his part, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said they will also check if the STL operators have secured their permits in the city.

In 2017, former councilor Sonya Verdeflor said that the STL and Peryahan games are not allowed to operate in the city.

She said in 2014, the PCSO terminated the deed of authority issued to Global Tech Mobile Online Corp. (Globaltech) to operate the Peryahan ng Bayan in various cities and provinces, including Bacolod.

She added the permit to operate of Globaltech had ended after they failed to comply with some of the provisions of their memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the PCSO.*