ZAMBOANGA CITY – Many poor residents here have assailed and strongly criticized President Duterte for closing down all government-run lotteries and other number games by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Duterte cited corruption for his decision late Friday to shut down the PCSO operations, including Small Town Lottery, Lotto and Peryahan ng Bayan. Proceeds from PCSO games go to charity and other government projects and benefit tens of thousands of poor families. Police forces across the country have started shutting down all PCSO games.
“Buang talaga! Pati ba naman Lotto eh ipinatigil, paano na kami? Lotto lang ang pag-asa namin makaahon sa kahirapan. Si Duterte maraming pera, mayaman yan at walang problema,” one local upholsterer, Arnold, said in reaction to Duterte’s order to stop the lottery games.
Another Lottery player, Marie Angeles, said Duterte should have not stopped the PCSO games because proceeds from it go to charity and give hope to many poor people to become millionaire. “Dapat hindi ipinatigil ni Duterte dahil sa charity naman napupunta ang mga kinikita ng PCSO tulad ng Lotto, at nakakatulong pa ito sa mga mahihirap, yun mga gastusin sa gamot, yan mga ambulansya galing ang pondo sa PCSO games,” Angeles said.
“Ang dapat na ginawa ni Duterte ay mag-imbestiga at kasuhan ang mga involved sa corruption sa PCSO kung totoo man. Marami ng tinanggal si Duterte na mga tao niya at opisyal sa ibat-ibang ahensya, pero ni isa ay walang nakulong, ngunit marami ang nailipat lang sa ibang departamento,” she added.
PCSO General Manager Royina Garma – a former police chief in Cebu City who was appointed by Duterte to the PCSO only in June 24 – on Saturday said: “Pursuant to the order of the President, suspending PCSOs gaming activities, the PCSO Board directs compliance to said instruction until further notice. Rest assured that PCSO shall appeal to the Office of the President for the resumption of the conduct of all games to PCSO’s mandate and for the interest of the PCSO, its agents and its beneficiaries.”
“To our valued customers, please be advised that our PCSO games are suspended pursuant to the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. All players with advance play tickets are advised to keep their tickets until further notice.”
Last month, Duterte said he is not a fan of illegal gambling and admitted that Jueteng is unlawful, but he would allow its operations because the government cannot provide alternative livelihood to those behind it. “It is not legal. It cannot be allowed. If I stop it, I must be prepared to give another livelihood scheme to the people because if you can’t find an alternative, drugs will replace the operations. That would be more deadly,” he said.
“Ako, sabihin ko sa inyo ha, kayo ‘yung mga sugal ng sugal diyan, hindi ko na pakialaman, huwag lang kayong pumasok -hindi mo talaga ma-control eh. Kaya nga kayo mag-ano, papalusutin ko kayo ‘yung mga — huwag lang ‘yang extortion at saka droga. Kung sabihin mo ‘yang mga Jueteng, Jueteng diyan sa kuwan, huwag ‘yung malaki o ‘yung mga hantak-hantak diyan, bahala na kayo. I’m not trying to encourage you, but I cannot stop it anyway at alam ko kulang talaga,” he added.
Duterte’s decision to allow Jueteng was a far cry from his June 2018 public statement in that he will not allow its proliferation. “Now if I don’t have a replacement for Jueteng, what can I do? It is easy, if there is another form of gambling that takes over. I will say – you get out of there and arrest them all – then what is the activity? Economic activity none, now if there is Jueteng, at least money goes around. Some people will get hungry, others will be able to eat, but there is commercial activity,” he said during his visit in Maasin City in Leyte province. (Zamboanga Post)
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