Task force reviewing PCSO resolutions

An anti-corruption task force formed by President Duterte is reviewing all board resolutions issued by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) from the time of former general manager Alexander Balutan to the present, following concerns that the board had issued resolutions deemed disadvantageous to the government.

With the cooperation of new PCSO general manager Royina Garma, the agency is now in possession of the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of 15 executives – from members of the board up to former chairman and general manager.

Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica said the agency is also looking at contracts, approved board resolutions and implementing rules and regulations that altered specifications and allowed corruption to steal PCSO funds.

“In the course of the discussion, we also heard about the issues on gaming, poor turnover of revenues to the government, issues about contracts, issues on violations of IRR,” Belgica said, referring to the outcome of a recent coordination meeting with Garma over corruption issues.

The PACC had subpoenaed all related documents and contracts, IRRs and board resolutions previously approved and were deemed disadvantageous to the government.

“So that we can check if the government lost revenues from the transactions, and if there were violations of the law,” Belgica said.

“We will ask them to respond, and our recommendation will be submitted to the President and the ombudsman for the criminal aspect of the case,” he said.

When sought for comment, Belgica said the PACC would abide by President Duterte’s statements during the police service anniversary last week that he would not mind retired police officers who had cornered franchises of small town lottery.

“We will allow the axe to fall wherever it should,” he added.

Belgica said the commission expects to wrap up its lifestyle checks in three months.

PCSO director Sandra Cam said that substantial documentary evidence proving corruption at the agency has been with PACC for three months but apparently remain unscrutinized by the commission.

Cam said that she had turned over all the documents since May 2019 after she met with Duterte last May in Tokyo, Japan and reported the rampant corruption in the PCSO particularly its small town lottery (STL) games.

“He (Duterte) then asked me to hand over these documents to Sen. Bong Go and the latter gave these documents to Commissioner Belgica who is in charge of the investigation,” Cam said.

Cam said that aside from the documents she had already turned over to Go, there were “other information” on PCSO irregularities with her, and she was set to present it in a Senate or House of Representatives inquiry on PCSO anomalies.

Cam issued the statement after Belgica said in a Palace press briefing earlier this week that they have yet to investigate Cam’s claims of severe corruption at the PCSO.

Belgica was quoted as saying that the PACC would issue a memorandum to Cam on Wednesday to submit documents on PCSO corruption.