Binmaley Mayor’s Junks Meridian, Okays PCSO’s Peryahan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINMALEY – The mayor of this town said that he did not renew this year the business permit of Meridian Jai Alai (MJA) as he replaced it with Peryahan Games (PG) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Mayor Sam Rosario

Mayor Sam Rosario explained that he gave Meridian up to January 18 to close shop here to usher for PG’s entry with its betting kiosk and uniformed mobile collector to gather bets for their company.
PG’s Hulog Holen is played like MJA and the illegal number game jueteng.
Its franchisee from PCSO is Global Tech Mobile Online whose owner is Mr. Jose Gregorio R. Aguiling.
MJA is believed to be run in this biggest town in the 2nd Congressional District by big time gambling boss Atong Ang. Meridian gained a semblance of legality after its lawyers chalked up an injunction case at the Court of Appeals for two years now.
“I had a hard time to decide. I have to consult with my lawyers first and they have to carefully study the laws that govern Peryahan. They found it to be legal,” he stressed.
Mayor Rosario said PG gives more benefits to its collectors and other personnel compared to Meridian.
Unlike jueteng and Meridian, the three times a day draw of Hulog Holen and other of its betting games are governed by carefully made transparent rules of PCSO.
According to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Holen, where a bettor’s one peso wins P500, its mechanic ranged  from 1 to 38.“A combination of two (2) numbers is drawn; one from each set within the number range. A player wins if his chosen combination matches that of the drawn combination in correct order,” it says.
The frequency of the draw is three (3) times a day of every 11 AM, 4 PM, and 9 PM”.
 “PCSO representative will conduct the draw for the Games and will be assisted by the Draw Assistant; 2. The Chairman of the Panel of Judges drops the inspected ball in the specified chamber at the top of the machine. As the ball travels down to the spinning wheel at the bottom of the machine, its path is affected by bumpers. The number upon the ball will rest shall be recorded accordingly. The ball will be removed from the draw machine. The process is repeated to determine the second of the two (2) number winning combination;  3. In the event that a draw machine breaks down, the Draw Assistant will announce the malfunction. The machine will be replaced by the alternate draw machine. All inspections and tests will be repeated prior to actual draw. Should the malfunction occur during the drawing of the 2nd number, the first number already drawn shall be considered valid,” one of the excerpts of the IRR says how the draw is broadcast by media nationwide.

PERYAHAN GAMES. An identification card of Global Tech's Peryahan Games' mobile collectors of bets. Peryahan has been operating in the towns of Laoac, Binmaley, San Jacinto, Mapandan, Malasiqui and other towns in Pangasinan. It is a franchised betting games sanctioned by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. PHOTO CREDIT: PCSO

Other games to be introduced by PG in the 48 towns and cities of Pangasinan for this year are Hulog Holen, Throw Coins, Gulong ng Swertres, Dart Baloon with Numbers, Rolets, Shooting Ring, Sa Pula, Sa Puti, Color Games, Drop Ball, Beto Beto, Karera, Bingo Dart, Sungka, Trumpo, and Pitik Bulag.
Although PG did not have to ask for the imprimatur of the city and town mayors in any provinces in the country, the official of Peryahan still observes courtesy by dropping at the offices of the local government units’ chief executives to get their nod.
“..all duly –authorized PCSO/Global Tech Peryahan Games/retailers/agents, similar to all other selling Lotto, Sweepstakes, Lotto Express (Keno), STL and all PCSO products, are exempted  securing barangay and/or mayor’s /business permit and payment of the pertinent license fees to Local Government Units, pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act No. 1169, as amended, otherwise known as PCSO Charter and Supreme Court Resolution dated 6 July 1998 (G.R. 133769) affirming all other decisions of the Court of Appeals related to the said issuance of local permits” According to the certification given to Global Tech by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Acting Chairman Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas III.