The Small Town Lottery is earning billions for the indigent, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan told Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang in connection with the latter’s comment to regulate STL operations in his province.
Balutan assured the governor that the PCSO strengthened the law on STL by crafting new Implementing Rules and Regulations “that break the monopoly of gambling lords who do not pay taxes and continue to undermine the government and corrupt the many,” he said.
Earlier, Dayanghirang said STL outlets had mushroomed in the province and had been indiscriminately placed near schools, churches and spots along the highway.
The proliferation of STL outlets, according to the provincial government, “encouraged the culture of gambling among residents while adversely affecting the province’s image.”
But Balutan said STL is responsible gaming, unlike “jueteng” and its variants that promotes unregulated and excessive gambling, which has been a source of corruption.
The PCSO GM explained that jueteng has become a way of life of Filipinos ever since Spanish times. Past administrations attempted to stop it, but to no avail.
“Since everybody was in agreement that it can't be eradicated, Congress passed a law in 2006 Republic Act 1169, to regulate these illegal numbers game through STL,” Balutan said.
“Without STL, local government officials failed to stop the proliferation of the illegal numbers games in their areas of responsibilities, and now they question the presence of STL outlets?” he added.