House bill seeks to prohibit small town lottery

MANILA, Philippines - Two Mindanao congressmen have filed a bill that would prohibit small town lottery (STL) projects of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and local government units.

In seeking the abolition of STL, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and his brother Maximo, who represents party-list group Abante Mindanao, said many STL operators are themselves jueteng lords.

“In fact, jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling generate more income for the operators than STL,” they said in filing House Bill 4058.

“It would be more prudent if STL is prohibited, since it gives jueteng operators a legal front to cover up their illegal activities,” they said.

They added that the police would have an easier job of arresting illegal gambling operators and their collectors if STL were banned.

At present, according to the two congressmen, policemen could not apprehend jueteng collectors, as they carry identification cards signed by STL operators who are also jueteng lords.

PCSO officials have admitted in congressional hearings that many of their STL licensees have engaged in illegal gambling activities.

They reasoned out that they gave STL licenses to these individuals because they know how small town lotteries work.

The Rodriguez brothers quoted anti-jueteng crusader and retired Bishop Oscar Cruz: “If jueteng was not only a moral shame but a fearsome social cancer, then it is very much more so during these times since STL became its intimate buddy, making themselves an awesome and fearful pair.”

“It is a pairing under the command of exactly the same long-operating jueteng lords themselves. STL uses the jueteng hierarchical structure, giving payola to the same protectors in the persons of infamous local officials and police authorities,” Cruz was quoted as saying.

Under HB 4058, STL would be illegal and all PCSO contracts for small town lottery projects would be rescinded.

The authors said the PCSO would still have enough funds for charity since it generates billions from its daily lotto draws.