PCSO chief sues Alcuaz

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chairman Ma. Livia "Honey Girl" de Leon filed libel charges yesterday before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office against PCSO director Jose Luis "Linggoy" Alcuaz over accusations she railroaded a P60-million contract for the printing of instant sweepstakes tickets.

De Leon, sister of former Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, also filed a libel suit against former PCSO corporate secretary Cirilo Avila, who together with Alcuaz, has accused her of graft, corruption and mismanagement.

"The statements of Alcuaz and Avila during the press conference, accusing me of graft and corruption, the commission of criminal acts and mismanagement are absolutely baseless and totally false," De Leon said in her sworn statement.

She denied accusations that she railroaded the contract, as alleged by Alcuaz.

De Leon said Alcuaz was apparently misled in referring to the Cash and Car Promo sweepstakes, a project conceived by the PCSO to push up the dwindling revenues on the sale of traditional sweepstakes.

"But this (car promo) project has long been approved by the PCSO board, including Alcuaz, who voted for it," she said.

The PCSO chairman turned the tables on Alcuaz and claimed the board meeting at the Mandarin Hotel in Makati City last Dec. 23, was conducted because he insisted on it even as a regular board meeting was held earlier on Dec. 17.

According to De Leon, what was approved during that meeting was the distribution and marketing of promo tickets since the Marketing Sector of the PCSO recommended a distributor willing to guarantee a 100 percent sale of the tickets.

De Leon also denied accusations made by Alcuaz she was delaying the implementation of the P600 million ambulance project.

"This circumstance engenders the well-grounded perception that in making these scurrilous and abusive attacks upon my person, his (Alcuaz’s) agenda is tainted with personal vested interest in that he wants to be the PCSO general manager," De Leon said.

De Leon said the accusations hurled against her was not only in her capacity as PCSO chairman but also against the government.

"This circumstance persuasively showed that the libelous attacks of Alcuaz and Avila are not impelled by good intentions. Besides, the imputations of Alcuaz and Avila are clearly libelous and malicious per se," she said.

In filing the libel suit, De Leon is asking P30 million for moral damages and P20 million for exemplary damages jointly from Alcuaz and Avila.

Alcuaz earlier accused De Leon and some members of the PCSO board of passing a resolution approving a P600 million contract in favoring a supplier of sweepstakes tickets without any public bidding.

Alcuaz told a new conference on Jan. 2 that the PCSO board passed the resolution last Dec. 23 in a meeting held at the Mandarin hotel.

He claimed De Leon and the board did not even bother to notify him about the meeting.

Alcuaz also accused De Leon of delaying the implementation of the P600 million ambulance purchase program and the disbursement of P282 million for the Ospital ni Erap program and another P282 million in hospital equipment meant for the Philippine National Police (PNP).