MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has won another legal victory in its bid to regain P707.2 million worth of assets seized by an Australia-based thermal paper supplier.
The PCSO has cancelled an allegedly anomalous joint venture agreement with TMA Group Philippines Inc. amounting to P4.4 billion for the manufacture of thermal paper for lotto operations.
In a notice issued on March 4, the Supreme Court’s Special Third Division denied with finality the motion for reconsideration filed by the TMA Group on its Aug. 28 ruling that overturned the March 27, 2014 Court of Appeals decision that upheld the Makati Regional Trial Court’s ruling, which prevented the PCSO from cancelling the contract for thermal paper supply it signed with the firm on Dec. 4, 2009.
The notice was issued by SC division clerk Misael Domingo Battung III.
“No further pleadings, motions, letters or other communications will be entertained in this case. Let an entry of judgment be issued immediately,” the notice read.
The Australian thermal paper supplier earlier sought a reconsideration of the Aug. 28, 2019 SC ruling, which declared as “void and of no force and effect” the Makati court’s previous order.
The PCSO cancelled the contract on April 15, 2011 after the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel found that the deal was essentially a supply contract, which was void for being a ploy to circumvent Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.