Pagcor: Refunds made to eligible jai alai operators

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) said yesterday it has complied with all legal and financial requirements when it suspended jai alai operations last June 20, contrary to claims of the Jai-Alai Off-Fronton Operators Association (JOOA) that close to P100 million in agency fees remain unrefunded.

In a two-page counter-affidavit to the one filed by JOOA with the Ombudsman, Pagcor Chairman Efraim Genuino said he acted within the 15-day prescribed period set by law to respond to complaints of this nature.

Genuino noted that after receiving JOOA’s demand letter on Aug. 17, he called for a meeting with jai alai operators on Aug. 29. On Sept. 4, Pagcor’s Board of Directors approved the refund of agency fees to operators who were entitled to them in accordance with the provisions of the contract they had signed with Pagcor.

Atty. Carlos Bautista, head of Pagcor’s Corporate & Legal Department, cited records showing that "jai alai operators who were eligible for refund were duly paid by Pagcor. However, we found cause not to act on the demands of other claimants because they owe Pagcor a substantial amount in unremitted sales. In some cases, what they owe Pagcor is more than the P300,000 agency fee that they were seeking as refund from us,’’ Bautista said.

He stressed that the contract signed by Pagcor with the operators provides that ‘‘the agreement may, at the option of Pagcor be terminated or suspended at any time by giving written notice of termination or suspension on such grounds as Pagcor may establish from time to time."

‘‘Furthermore, Article VII of the same contract states that the agency fee is non-refundable if the off-fronton betting station operated for more than one year,’’ Bautista added.

Aside from Genuino, Pagcor directors Domingo Calajate and Manuel Roxas were named as respondents to JOOA’s compliant and both have filed their counter-affidavits. Dante Ang was no longer a Pagcor director when the case was filed.

‘‘In fairness to Mr. Ang," Genuino said, ‘‘he had resigned as a member of the board when the compliant was lodged with the Administrative Adjudication Bureau."