The chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office reiterated Friday President Duterte’s order to stop illegal gambling and corruption through the operation of Small Town Lottery nationwide, applications of which are still being processed.
Jose Jorge Corpuz was in Dumaguete City to distribute ambulances and millions of pesos to hospitals and local government units in the province of Negros Oriental.
As a legal numbers game that will operate nationwide and sanctioned by government, STL will provide funds for local government units, law enforcement agencies, and to all medical needs of the people for the purchase of medicines, Corpuz said.
There are about four applicants to operate STL in Negros Oriental to become agents or partners with the PCSO that will eventually provide funds on a monthly basis, unlike with the PCSO share , which is twice a year only.
Corpuz said the government is sending a strong signal to open the STL market nationwide to stop illegal gambling and corruption.
A total of 224 corporations are presently applying from the present 18 corporations it will become 79.
The nationwide operation of STL has the blessings of the president and part of the implementing rules and regulations says that at no instance should the corporations give money to politicians, police or military officers because for even a single centavo they give, the government will immediately terminate their contracts and will file charges against them.
It is no joke investing P15 million to get an authority to operate an STL and so illegal gambling should be wiped out or else their contracts are terminated.
With STL, Negros Oriental is expected to remit P89 million a month that will be given back in terms of services, ambulances, medicines, financial assistance, among others.
According to Corpuz with STL, mayors, governors, national and regional police, army, CIDG officers will get shares for their respective constituents and operations. This is one way of stopping corruption and illegal gambling, he pointed out.
Corpuz is aware of resistance from certain sectors but made it clear this is a national government program, the revenues of which will go back as a charity on a monthly basis. Bidding for the applications is going on, he said.
Provincial administrator Atty Richard Enojo who represented the governor in the turnover ceremony Friday morning said there’s no way one can prohibit the operation of lotto because it is being operated by virtue of a national law.
This was Enojo’s response to the existence of Provincial Ordinance No. 4 that seeks to limit the operation of Lotto in Negros Oriental and requires a public hearing before a permit can be issued.
He disclosed that he is legal counsel before for lotto operators who questioned Provincial Ordinance No. 4. In fact, he suggested to the governor to request a member of the provincial board to sponsor an amendment or repeal of such ordinance.
Provincial Ordinance is still in effect but because a case was filed by lotto operators questioning the same, a status quo status is also in effect pending the final determination of the validity of said ordinance. (PNA)