GAMBLING tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang offered P200 million to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office sometime last year to take full control of small town lottery operations across the country, PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan told a congressional hearing Tuesday.
“It’s Mr. Atong Ang your honor,” Balutan told lawmakers when Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo asked him to identify the person who offered him the bribe.
Balutan, a retired Marine major general, said Ang was accompanied by now PCSO board member Sandra Cam when he made the offer.
He testified that Ang and Cam claimed that they were sent by President Rodrigo Duterte, but he turned down the bribe.
Balutan told the House committee on games and amusements that he could prove that the bribe took place because he had CCTV footage and photos.
He added that he personally reported the incident to the President.
“He told me: Don’t bend your rules. Just follow your rules. Just follow your rules, even if it involves my own son,” Balutan quoted the President as saying.
But Cam denied Balutan’s claims.
“He’s lying through his teeth. Atong Ang and President Duterte are friends. The P200 million Atong was talking about was the total amount of STL revenues on a daily basis,” she said, relating it was Duterte’s close aide Christopher Go who told her to meet the PCSO officials.
Ang earlier denied allegations that he was set on taking over STL operations.
Cam, for her part, has been told by Duterte to stop quarrelling with Balutan, whom she accused of throwing a lavish Christmas party for PCSO employees across the country.
Balutan challenged Cam to file corruption charges against him if she can prove that he misspent PCSO funds.
“This is the first time somebody has accused me of corruption. If they have proof, then why don’t they file it in court?” Balutan said.