Duterte lifts lotto suspension

MANILA, Philippines — Let the lotto games resume.

President Duterte has ordered the resumption of the popular lotto, four days after operation of all gaming schemes by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) was ordered suspended due to massive corruption.

“The suspension of lotto operations is lifted immediately,” Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said last night in a TV interview.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea relayed the information to Panelo, saying investigators found no anomalies in the conduct of lotto operations.

“The sanctity of lotto remained untainted and all regulatory rules have been followed,” Medialdea said.

Panelo said franchise holders and operators of lotto outlets can now re- sume with their operations.

Howeer, the rest of all gaming with franchises, licenses or permits grant- ed by the PCSO, such as Small-Town Lottery (STL), Keno and Peryahan ng Bayan (PNB), will remain suspended.

These gaming operations are still undergoing investigation, Panelo said.

He added that the Office of the President will be evaluating probe results from the concerned agencies.

New sources

The government earlier said it would look for other sources of funds to continue providing medical assistance to the poor following the closing of all gaming outlets of PCSO.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News last Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the administration’s economic managers must identify funding sources to augment PCSO funds.

“They have to be imaginative on where to get the funds. The PCSO funding is huge and can render anemic the capacity of the Malasakit centers to be able to maximize support to poor patients,” Duque said. “The shortfall must be filled.” 

He said revenue collection from sin taxes could be one of the possible fund sources.

According to Duque, revenue from sin taxes may help generate additional funds to realize the objective of the University Health Care (UHC) law. 

He said the Department of Health (DOH) could also provide help through its medical assistance programs for the poor.

Without the charity funds from PCSO, Duque said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) may also be required to boost its income generation to be able to help more indigent patients.

Local government units can also extend medical aid to residents in their areas, Duque said.

The health chief noted that nearly half a million people receive financial support annually from the PCSO for their hospitalization and other medical needs.

Duque said the charity agency also provides P1.5 billion yearly for the implementation of the UHC law.

“The closure of lotto outlets and other PCSO games will affect the beneficiaries of the primary care benefit package of the UHC law, and PhilHealth will be stymied to expand the package,” he said.

Under the UHC law, a family of five should receive P800 worth of primary health package from the PCSO funds.

Pagcor will provide P40 billion for the UHC law implementation.

According to Duque, a majority of the UHC funding will go to preventive healthcare programs such as immunization.

He said the government is far from reaching the required P257-billion fund for the first year of implementation of the UHC law.

The UHC law will be initially implemented on a limited scale covering 33 sites.

Duque said if he had been consulted by Malacañang about the suspension of PCSO gaming outlets, he would inform them of its possible impact on healthcare services.   

He expressed hope that the closure of small town lottery (STL) draw centers would be temporary.

Beneficiaries of the PCSO who are affected by the suspension of its gaming schemes could still get medical assistance from other government agencies such as Pagcor, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Office of the President, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said yesterday.

“They will not lose their life lines for medical subsidies and burial assistance.  The government will continue providing medical assistance,” he said.                            

Panelo said the President wants to stop corruption in the PCSO.

“But it doesn’t mean that the medical assistance to those in need will also end,” added.

In Negros Occidental, the closure of PCSO gaming activities has displaced at least 13,000 STL agents and lotto workers, according to provincial branch acting manager Jose Manuel Villagracia. 

Villagracia said the PCSO continues to give financial aid to the needy since they have budget until the end of the year.

He said the agency is extending P504,000 daily to beneficiaries. This is on top of the P245,000 given directly to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Regional Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.

PCSO services

The PCSO yesterday said it continues to provide services to the public despite the gaming ban imposed by President Duterte. 

The agency said it donated P10 million to the Northern Cagayan District Hospital on Monday for the purchase of a mobile X-ray and Doppler ultrasound.  

The PCSO extension office in Quezon City provided services to 426 people who applied for Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP).

Hundreds of medical and dental patients were attended to in PCSO offices in Mandaluyong, Quezon City and Manila. 

The agency said a total of 1,300 IMAP clients were able to get financial assistance from PCSO branch offices across the country.  

The PCSO also received requests for medicine donation and conduct of medical mission.            

A total of 167 lottery winners claimed their prizes at the PCSO head office despite the gaming ban. –  With Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz, Janvic Mateo, Gilbert Bayoran