By CESAR JOLITO III

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod is set to hold a public hearing next week to clarify the status of Small Town Lottery (STL) operations in the city amid findings that it has been running without business permits.

The city council’s committee on laws chair, Councilor Al Victor Espino, said records from the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) confirmed that STL has not secured the necessary permits to operate.

He stressed that while the council does not oppose STL per se, operators must comply with local regulations.

“We are not against its operations. What we want is to ensure legality, especially now that the city has intensified its crackdown on businesses without permits,” Espino said, noting that six establishments were shut down on August 29 for non-compliance.

The public hearing will gather representatives from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, BPLO, City Legal Office, and the Philippine National Police to determine the legality of STL activities in Bacolod.

Meanwhile, Councilor Dindo Ramos, who earlier filed a resolution convening the council as a committee of the whole, said STL operations have been openly conducted in the city, with bets being collected, but no revenues remitted to the local government.

“Even if they are a national entity or citing presidential decrees or republic acts, they must still respect the authority of local government units,” Espino said.

Ramos also warned that the unchecked proliferation of STL and other unsanctioned gambling activities poses social, moral and economic risks to Bacolodnons if left unregulated./CJ, WDJ