Former PCSO exec denies SUV claims, vows to sue detractors

MANILA, Philippines—A former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) official on Wednesday denied that the agency gave sports utility vehicles to Catholic bishops as she vowed to file charges against those who “demonized” their image.

“It was very clear in our board resolutions that the donations given by PCSO were to be used in purchasing service vehicles for medical and charity works,” PCSO former vice chairman and general manager Rosario Uriarte said in Filipino.

She said that no violations were done by the former PCSO board and that all graft accusations against them were “ultimate lies.”

She added that most of over 100 institutional partners of PCSO were religious organizations and that the agency helped not only the Catholic church but groups of all “political colors.”

The teary-eyed Uriarte denied they were only helping allies of the then Arroyo administration.

“Every request of an endowment fund or ambulances from anyone was reviewed,” she said, adding that the funds released went directly to hospitals and not to the “hands of the politicians.”

Also, Uriarte said that the intelligence fund of the agency was used to protect the public against text scams and illegal gambling activities, which she said were the direct competitors of PCSO games.

She said that they would be filing charges against the current PCSO officials and all the people who “demonized” their image. “We will study the extent of damage and the actions done by the current PCSO board with our lawyer.”

‘Questions of charity’

Meanwhile, Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta “Etta” Rosales noted the lopsided implementation of its charity mandate, saying only those who would request for funds benefitted from the agency.

Uriarte also denied that the PCSO went bankrupt. “They never mentioned that we have left the office with P3.3 billion.”

“When we were in PCSO, revenues were P7 billion only, we have increased it to P26 billion,” she said.

When asked about the left payables, Uriarte said that they were not able to pay the P1 billion debt because the Commission on Audit (CoA) did not allow to pay cases with incomplete liquidation reports.

‘Congenital liars’

Former PCSO Chairman Manoling Morato has called those attacking the former PCSO as “congenital liars.”

“Those patients we have helped were alive, theirs were dead,” he said.