Gaming technology firm Globaltech Mobile Online Corp. said a status quo ante order affirmed with finality by the Court of Appeals remains in force, allowing it to operate “Peryahan ng Bayan” games nationwide.
Globaltech vice president for legal Bernard Vitriolo claimed a lower court could not recall a CA ruling, especially one that is final and executory.
“We have never operated illegally. We are a legitimate, duly registered and law-abiding private corporation,” Vitriolo said.
The lawyer said the principle of stability and immutability of final judicial decision and the principle of separation of powers was enshrined in the Constitution.
Vitriolo said the CA final decision could not be supplanted, superseded, overtaken, modified and reversed by an administrative order of the PCSO.
Vitriolo claimed that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office misrepresented court issuances and rulings on the operations of PNB games, causing confusion with the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation.
Vitriolo said the final decision of the CA affirming the SQA order was not recalled as claimed by PCSO general manager and vice chairperson Royina Garma.
He said PCSO allegedly misrepresented a recall order issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 161 in February 2020.
Vitriolo said the Pasig RTC recall order was issued to limit the scope of the PNB games to just 15 provinces, but the company already took legal action in the CA against the move as the DOA allowed it to operate the PNB games nationwide.
“The Court of Appeals ruling on Jan. 14, 2019 that stopped the PCSO’s revocation of the deed of authority for us to operate our Peryahan Ng Bayan games and where they also affirmed the status quo ante order issued by the Pasig RTC is final and executory. The RTC Pasig City had granted a writ of execution for a nationwide operation which was recalled limiting the areas of operation to only 15 areas as per PCSO Board Resolution No. 0059 S 2019,” Vitriolo said.
The same ruling also ordered the PCSO and Globaltech to enter into arbitration proceedings.
Vitriolo said Globaltech was seeking an audience with DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano and DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra to clarify the misrepresentations being made by the PCSO.
