STL Operator Blamed PCSO, Peryahan of Collection Shortfall

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO -  Because of the proliferation of the illegal number game Peryahan ng Bayan (PnB) in Pangasinan, the administrator of a franchised small town lottery (STL) blamed the leadership of the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office on the collection deficit it faced.

Speed Game, Incorporated (SGI) Administrator Anthony Ang-angco exposed the incompetence of the PCSO in a symposium held in a restaurant here when it allowed PnB of Globaltech Mobile Online Corporation to compete with SGI in the number game business in the forty-four towns and four cities’ province.

“You don’t do your part!” a smarting Ang-angco told lawyer Wesley A. Barayuga the corporate board secretary of the PCSO during the meeting held at Antonio’s Catering Events Place here.

ILLEGAL - Speed Game, Incorporated (SGI) Administrator Anthony Ang-angco (standing with microphone) unloaded his sentiments before the presence of the officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office in a symposium held at the function room of a restaurant in Calasiao, Pangasinan on the illegal operation of Globaltech Mobile Online Corporation’s Peryahan ng Bayan in Pangasinan. PnB eats the collection from the betting public of SGI thus it prejudiced its P117 million Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt (PMRR) it gives to the PCSO.

The SGI Administrator explained that the problem spawned by PnB gnawed its (SGI) contracted remittances to the national government.

“Pero we are binding with the agreement na ang aming other payment kailangan din namin iyong declare share kami. So kung humahaba po iyong (inaudible) lumalaki ang utang mabuti lang sana kung PCSO lang ang may share doon. Kaya lang sa part namin sa Speed Game we are doing every single part”.

SGI has to remit P3.9 million a day or P177 million Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt (PMRR) to the PCSO where the latter use them as funds for the social and medical needs of the indigents all over the country.

Ang-angco rebutted Barayuga and other PCSO officer because the latter defended the Status Quo Ante Order (SQAO) that resulted to the proliferation of the illegal activities of PnB.

He said that the lawyer should not stick on the May 17, 2016, October 11, 2016, and April 24, 2017orders of Regional Trial Court Judge Nicanor V. Manalo in Pasig City because all them were

 superseded by the Court of Appeals’ order of January 14, 2019.

The chronology of these orders were reported before in this newspaper, excerpts:

Both PCSO and Globaltech filed with each other at the CA a Petition for Certiorari under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court.
Docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 151727, PCSO assailed the orders dated May 17, 2016, October 11, 2016, and April 24, 2017 of Judge Manalo of  the Regional Trial Court Branch 161 in Pasig City. 
Docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 154056, Globaltech assailed the order dated October 13, 2017 of the same judge.
In a decision rendered by the Court of Appeals in January 14, 2019, it dismissed both petitions.
In the October 11, 2016 order, the RTC modified its decision on May 17, 2016 by directing the PCSO to suspend its Notice of Termination to Globaltech, to observe the SQAO and send PCSO representatives to draw centers of the plaintiff daily to conduct the Peryahan ng Bayan’s game.
 The lawyer of SGI said it no longer need to obey the SQAO because of the changes in the October 11, 2016 order of the RTC.
He cited that the penultimate April 24, 2017 order of Judge Manalo neither reinstated the SQAO when it modified the October 11, 2016 Order nor set aside the deferment of the suspension of the PCSO’s notice of termination on February 19, 2016.

The lawyer summed up the judicial directives for Globaltech to post a bond equivalent to the amount of Php50, 336, 029.73 as per RTC Order dated April 24, 2017 and the parties to immediately submit themselves to arbitration conformably with the terms of their written agreement and A.M. No. 07-11-08-SC or the Special Rules of Court on Alternative Dispute Resolution as per Court of Appeals’ decision dated January 14, 2019. 

“Neither can the OGCC (Office of the Government Corporate Counsel - Editor) rely on the portion of the Court of Appeals decision discussing the validity of the SQAO. Despite the discussion of the Court of Appeals did not reinstate the SQAO in the dispositive portion of its decision. Had the Court of Appeals intended to extend the relief contained in the SQAO to Globaltech, it would have been easy for it to state so. It did not”.

 

“So, nakakahiya man sa inyo kung dahil lang naman po sa PCSO mali mali po iyong sinasabi ninyo ang stand ninyo ang status quo,” Angangco emphatically said.

In that meeting Doctor Venus Denzel, a high official of the PCSO, said that Peryahan ng Bayan was illegal.

“We are here to inform everybody na ang Peryahan ng Bayan na operation in Pangasinan is deemed illegal period!” she told the crowd composed of several mayors in the province, lawyers from the provincial and city prosecutor offices, Philippine National Police led by Provincial Director Colonel Redrico Maranan and his S-3 or Operation Chief Lt. Colonel Charles Umayam, National Bureau of Investigation, officers from the Criminal Investigation Detection Group from the PNP, media, and other stakeholders.

The illegal operation of PnB can be cited too by the following: Under-remittance of sales due to PCSO during the experimental test run which ballooned to P506 million including penalties as of January 23, 2019; PnB tickets or receipts are not generated using mobile handheld terminals as agreed upon with PCSO under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and the DOA; Only the following games were approved by PCSO only during the experimental test run like Hulog Holen, Lucky Tres – Standard and Sum Side Bet, Throw Coins Main Game.

These games should be played through localized draws at respective PCSO designed draw courts. Draws should be conducted by PCSO personnel with the assistance of Globaltech personnel. Instead, Globaltech now conducts PnB draws without the supervision of the PCSO staff looking at.

Ang-angco assailed the PCSO’s brass when he said that PnB has limited franchise to operate in Pangasinan to five towns and a city like Villasis, Labrador, Binmaley, and others and Urdaneta City.

“So ngayon the question is bakit sila naglalaro province wide? Now the whole province was occupied by Globaltech Peryahan ng Bayan!”

Because of corruption issues of the PCSO officials and collusion with the Authorized Agent Corporations (AAC), President Rodrigo Duterte halted Friday evening all games like Lotto, Small Town Lottery (STL), Peryahan ng Bayan, and Keno.

He explained that the stoppage was due to an alleged grand conspiracy among the major players and enforcers to cheat the government of its rightful shares.

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