BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—As the Feb. 28 deadline for the submission of applications by gaming companies seeking a Small Town Lottery franchise from the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office nears, illegal gambling operators in various towns of Cagayan Valley have continued to clandestinely hold three jueteng draws daily, Manila Standard has learned.
A bet collection sheet believed to be used by the illegal gambling operators was obtained by the Manila Standard from a bet collector, who asked not be named. It bears the heading “Meridien Vista Gaming Corp.” with a printed address “Ceza, Sitio Racat, Brgy. Rapuli, Sta Ana, Cagayan Valley.”
Meridien is believed to be one of the companies that applied for an STL franchise from the PCSO. The Standard tried to verify this information by calling a phone number posted on a website bearing company’s contact details, but the number could not be reached.
The bet collection sheet, indicating “2-22-17 PM” as the draw date, has seven handwritten pairs of “jueteng” numbers with bets of P5, P5, P35, P20, P10, P15 and P20.
Known bet collectors from various towns of Cagayan Valley reached by the Standard, also requesting anonymity, confirmed jueteng is “business as usual,” although draws are being moved around from one clandestine location to another.
“Bet collection is being done discreetly, unlike before that bet collectors are shouting out the winning combinations of a previous draw when they are collecting bets in public markets,” a collector revealed to the Manila Standard.
Sources asked not to name their towns, fearing that elected officials and the local police station chief might be placed in “hot water,” as Malacañang has warned of severe consequences for those involved in illegal gambling.
This fear was reinforced when Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa was seen dropping by a remote town of Nueva Vizcaya unannounced.
Dela Rosa was on his way back to Manila from Kalinga province, where he attended the wake of four policemen who died on duty while serving a warrant against a most wanted person.
Earlier, PCSO chairman Jorge Cruz told a Malacañang press briefing that STL “will be the only legal numbers game in the country.” He argued that STL will make it easy for law enforcers to curb jueteng.
However, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has disputed PCSO’s claim and questioned the authority of PCSO to award STL franchises. He argued that Republic Act 1169 “is a special law conferring upon the PCSO the power to hold and conduct charity sweepstakes, races, lotteries and other similar activities in national scale.”
“Very specific ha? National scale. Is the STL you’re authorizing national [in] scale? The draws are provincial scale. Don’t fool us, you’re just looking for a justification for jueteng,” Alvarez said in a press statement pointed at PCSO.
Anti-gambling advocates in this province doubt that STL will just be used as a front by jueteng operators.
PCSO’s Cruz candidly admitted that STL franchise applicants are “the same jueteng lords already operating in provinces and cities nationwide.” A total of 224 corporations applied last year, and 56 have already qualified.
Cruz revealed a formula to discourage STL franchise holders from holding illegal draws. First, PCSO will require the franchise bidder to comply with a Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt to be paid monthly. Second, an applicant is required to deposit a huge performance cash bond, equivalent to one month PMRR.
“One province is expected to generate PHP 225 million in revenues a month!” exclaimed Cruz, without naming the province. “The PMRR is computed as 30 percent of the voting population of the area times the P2.50 average bet times three draws a day over 30 days.”
Given the huge investment, STL franchise holders “are discouraged to go back to illegal bookies’ jueteng operation because their franchise will be revoked and their performance cash bonds forfeited the moment they are caught,” Cruz explained.
He stood firm that PCSO’s mandate is to look for funds needed by the government.
