A typical lottery roller-basket to draw the winning numbers.
By PERSEUS
ECHEMINADA
MANILA: An
official of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office expects the death of
jueteng and other illegal numbers games once the PCSO’s Loterya ng Bayan (PLB)
and other legal games are fully operational in the next few months.
PCSO general
manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas said the PLB would draw bettors away from jueteng
and other illegal numbers games.
Aside from the
PLB, the PCSO will also launch new games that will counter masiao, “last two”
and similar clandestine games.
The PLB will
replace the small town lottery (STL), which was used as a front for jueteng
operations.
“The PCSO will
introduce legal alternatives to illegal numbers games that would bring in
government revenues, create employment in the provinces, and generate charity
funds for health assistance to the poor and needy,” he said.
Rojas said a
final review is being conducted on 189 applications for permits to operate PLB nationwide.
The PLB is expected to start operations in key
cities and provinces in June after the PCSO issues permits to the new operators.
The PCSO assured
the public that the agency would tighten the screening of applicants to ensure
that PLB permits are issued only to legitimate gaming corporations and not to
fronts of jueteng and other illegal gambling operations.
The PCSO, the Department
of the Interior and Local Government, the National Bureau of Investigation, and
other law enforcement agencies are coordinating to ensure that the PLB is not
used as front for illegal gambling activities.
PCSO records
showed that PLB applications were filed by firms based in Pangasinan, Bulacan,
Zambales, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, La Union, Ilocos Sur,
Abra, Quirino, Cagayan. Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon, Albay, CamSur, CamNorte,
and Sorsogon.
Gaming corporations
in Metro Manila filed applications to operate PLB in Makati, Marikina, Pasay,
Quezon City and Taguig.
In the Visayas
and Mindanao, applicants came from San Carlos, Silayan and Sipalay City, Calape
in Bohol, Cebu City and Lapu Lapu City, Southern Leyte, Iloilo, and Zamboanga
City.
The PLB is
expected to generate revenues of at least P10 billion in the first year of
operations.
Under the PLB
guidelines, local governments, congressional districts, and provincial
governments including the local police are entitled to a certain percentage of
the proceeds of PLB. - PhilStar
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