PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Alexander Balutan on Friday challenged gambling consultant Charlie “Atong” Ang and PCSO board member Sandra Cam to run small-town lottery operations and produce P6 billion in monthly revenue.
Balutan told the television program Unang Balita he would resign from the PCSO if the two could produce the P6 billion in six months.
“I challenge them to run STL operations nationwide and I will resign if they can produce that amount,” Balutan said.
He made his statement even as a House leader on Friday called on the new leadership of the PCSO to adopt a two-step approach in helping President Rodrigo Duterte eradicate illegal gambling nationwide.
Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte urged the PCSO to first kick out certain Accredited Agent Corporations that have been using the Small Town Lottery as a cover for their illicit numbers racket, as well consider PCSO’s eventual takeover of STL operations from all AACs.
Villafuerte said that “while the replacement or at least suspension of the AACs engaged in jueteng should top the agency’s immediate concerns under the leadership of newly-appointed PCSO chairman Anselmo Pinili, PCSO’s long-term goal should be its takeover of all STL operations from its AACs in support of President Duterte’s drive against jueteng and other illicit numbers games.”
Meanwhile, Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda blasted jueteng bagman-turned-whistleblower Sandra Cam, who accused her husband, businessman Bong Pineda, of allegedly using the STL of the PCSO as a front for jueteng operations.
“Do not accuse anyone if you have no evidence,” Pineda said in a television interview.
Ang had claimed he could deliver to the government a minimum of P5 billion a month if President Duterte sought his help to “clean up” the PCSO. He said current monthly PCSO revenue was P1.7 billion.
In a separate interview, Cam said there was a “connivance” between gambling lords and the “hierarchy” of the PCSO. That setup, she said, was turning the otherwise legitimate STL into a front for jueteng.
She also dared Pineda to let her husband Bong, allegedly involved in jueteng, to “face” her “squarely.”
Meanwhile, Ang accepted Balutan’s challenge on the basis of his knowledge as a gaming consultant, explaining that the STL was not needed and gambling lords should be removed.
On Wednesday, Ang appeared at a Senate hearing on the controversies of the PCSO to testify against Balutan and Corpuz, who stepped down due to health reasons.
Ang said at the hearing that Duterte personally asked him to help clean up the PCSO whose leadership was just recently under fire for a supposedly lavish Christmas Party.