Solon wants authority for Duterte to tap Pagcor funds for Ched, PSC

MANILA, Philippines — A resolution authorizing President Rodrigo Duterte to order the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to provide funding for the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) was filed Tuesday at the House of Representatives.

Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. filed House Resolution No. 147 after the President has ordered the shutdown of all gaming activities of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), including lotto small town lottery (STL), Peryahan ng Bayan, Keno, and Lotto due to alleged “massive corruption” in the government-owned and -controlled agency.

This was even if Duterte did not provide proof about his “massive corruption” claim, and while the state-run PCSO’s general manager was a Duterte appointee – former Cebu City police chief Police Co. Royina Garma.

READ: Duterte stops all PCSO gaming activities including lotto, STL

PSC and Ched are among government agencies that PCSO must finance with its earnings, as mandated under Republic Act Nos. 6847 and 7722.

Garbin said that with the indefinite suspension of PCSO’s games “there is an urgent necessity to urge President Duterte to exercise his executive powers and for Congress, which has the ‘power of the purse’ to authorize the President to cause PAGCOR to fund the PSC and Ched.”

The resolution also requires PSC, Ched, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Department of Finance to determine the exact levels of funding support needed from Pagcor.

“Iniiwasan natin ang anumang aberya sa PSC, SEA (Southeast Asian) Games, at sa Ched dahil sa korapsyon sa PCSO. Ayaw natin na magambala ang athletes training, SEA Games hosting, pag-aaral ng mga kabataan sa kolehiyo, at research ng mga pamantasan,” Garbin said in a statement.  /kga