Graft raps filed vs TV execs

The Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption (PCAGC) has filed graft charges against two officials of a government television network and an advertising agency executive for the allegedly anomalous airing of online bingo games.

Charged with two counts of violating Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, were People’s Television-4 (PTV-4) chairman and chief executive officer Reynaldo Rivera, PTV-4 general manager Ricardo Trofeo and Rey David of Advertising Ventures Asia Inc. (Advent Asia).

Ombudsman prober Hilario Favila said the charges stemmed from two agreements where PTV-4 remitted commissions to David for the televised coverage of online bingo games.

Records showed that some P862,500 were deducted from the P5,750,000 airtime and advertising costs and remitted to David as the agency’s commission.

Favila claimed the 15-percent agency commission imposed upon PTV-4 is without legal basis as Advent Asia is not an agent of PTV-4 and gave unwarranted benefits to the ad agency.

Favila said the same thing occurred when PTV-4 and Advent Asia signed a similar agreement on Nov. 19, 1999 covering the airing of jai alai games and involved a P156,000 commission deducted from the P1,040,000 airtime cost.

Favila said the agreements entered into by the respondents are "grossly and manifestly disadvantageous" to PTV-4.

"Advent Asia will pay only 85 percent of its total monthly payment for the live coverage of said games and retaining 15 percent thereof as commission fee as an agent," Favila said.

Favila said there is no proof that Advent Asia was the agent of PTV-4 or Bingo Pilipino or the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

"Thus, the (station) during the duration of the said agreement would certainly lose a considerable portion of its service fees for televising or broadcasting in its network the direct participation of the public and private respondents," he added.