By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Board Member Andrew Montelibano, who chairs the Committee on Games and Amusements, expressed his support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to shut down all gaming operations managed, licensed, and franchised by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
“I support the move of the president as his way of cleansing the PCSO,” the provincial official pointed out.
He also believes the closure is only temporary as the president is seeking to rid the agency of corruption.
The issue came about after the Commission on Audit issued a report that found the agency had P6 billion in missing revenue.
According to Montelibano, who previously served as Murcia mayor, he witnessed small town lottery operators who failed to remit certain shares.
During an earlier interview, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed surprise in response to decision, saying, he had not heard of such anomalies or corruption and insisted the government agency utilizes its earnings to provide funding for the impoverished.
He added, those dependent on PCSO to provide medication will be especially hurt by the president’s move.
Meanwhile, Montelibano said, once the PCSO is back in operation, the provincial government should have a representative present for every draw conducted in order to closely monitor how much is being remitted to the province.
“The government is being denied its shares from the legal games,” the board member pointed out. “In return, services for people [are] also being denied.”
PCSO funds are supposed to be remitted to a trust fund intended to provide public services./DGB, WDJ