General to P'gasinan Cops: Assist Speed Game vs Jueteng

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

URDANETA CITY – Amidst the proliferation of illegal number game jueteng, the newly appointed police regional director directed the police provincial director of Pangasinan to assist the new government sanctioned Small Town Lottery’s franchisee in the area.

Police Chief Superintendent Romulo E. Sapitula, on a memorandum, instructed Pangasinan's Police Provincial Office Director Senior Supt. Ronald Oliver Lee to direct his chiefs of police in the 44 towns four cities’ province to eradicate jueteng operations so the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office-Small Town Lottery (PCSO-STL) Authorized Agent Corporation (AAC) Speed Game, Incorporated (SGI) can effectively operate its daily betting games' business in Pangasinan.

TOP GUNS. Executives of the Speed Game, Inc lead by its President Edward J. Aguilar (second from left) answer media queries on the operation of the betting game sanctioned by the government.

Other officers of the SGI at the photo are, from left,  District Coordinator Alfie Soriano, Legal Consultant Gerald Gubatan, Operation Manager Jose Millora, and Provincial Administrator Anthony Angangco. Photo by Mortz C. Ortigoza

“The success of the said game will help the National Government raise additional charity funds and broaden the number of people who will greatly benefit from PCSO’s medical charity assistance work for the less privileged. Additional revenues from the game are also intended to benefit various offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by way of allocating corresponding STL shares from the gross sales of the STL operations,” Chief Supt. Sapitula on his January 2 directive to S/Supt. Lee by quoting the letter sent to the former last December 18, 2017 by PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan.

Representative of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes and judges prepare to make the
first draw  last Wednesday of the 1 to 38 betting game combination of Speed Games,
 Inc at its Urdaneta City's betting station.

Balutan wrote the Police General that the PCSO recently approved SGI as the STL's Authorized Agent Corporation in the Province of Pangasinan in line with the expansion of the STL operations nationwide which was formally launched on February 2006.

Sapitula ordered Lee to submit the result of his action in favor of Speed Game, Incorporated versus the presence of gambling operators and their agents who illegally collect bets in the province.

SGI and PCSO-Pangasinan just opened its operation by showing to the media last Wednesday its first draw at its newly constructed office and betting station in Barangay San Vicente here.

The press conference that followed was led by Speed Game President Edward J. Aguilar, Provincial Administrator Anthony Angangco, Operation Manager Jose Millora, District Coordinator Alfie Soriano, Legal Consultant Gerald Gubatan, and PCSO –Pangasinan Manager Editha Romero.

Television and radio reports recently said that the personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation & Detection Group of the PNP have been preoccupied raiding and arresting collectors of illegal gambling operators like Peryahan ng Bayan (PnB) in different parts of the province in violation of Republic Act No. 9287 or An Act Increasing the Penalties for Illegal Number Games, others.

Speed Game, the second bidder at the STL, succeeded Golden Go Rapid Gaming Corporation (GGRGC) as the latter defaulted to remit to the PCSO P7.5 million a day or P225 million a month of its presumptive monthly retail receipt (PMRR).

Speed Game Lawyer Gubatan said the daily contract of the AAC to PCSO is P117 million monthly or P3.9 million daily.

The proliferation of jueteng operations in the province, a source said, ensued after the termination by the PCSO of GGRGC late last year.

Antony Angangco disputed the temporary restraining order (TRO) crowed by the lawyer of the PnB in the media by telling the public that it had been denied by the Regional Trial Court in Pasig City.

Balutan certified in November 16, 2017 that the operation of Peryahan ng Bayan was terminated by the PCSO’s Board of Directors through Resolution No. 51 Series of 2016 effective February 17, 2016.

“The termination of this Deed of Authority is subject of Civil Case No. 75148 between Globaltech and PCSO pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City, Branch 161. The said Court issued an Order dated 13 October 2017 in Civil Case No. 75148 containing the clear directive denying Globaltech’s application of writ of injunction (Annex “B”)”

On its decision, the Pasig City’s RTC said in part on its rejection of the operator of PnB: “All told the Motion for Issuance of Writ of Injunction is denied for lack of merit and the parties are directed upon receipt of this order to arbitrate pursuant to the Special Rules of Court on Alternative Dispute Resolution”.

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