Ad execs confirm 40% kickback to ex-PCSO official in Senate probe

MANILA, Philippines – The former advertising and promotions and special projects manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has been getting a 40 percent kickback for PCSO advertisements, two executives in the advertising industry told the Senate Thursday during its resumption of an inquiry into the alleged anomalous use of PCSO funds under the Arroyo administration.

Alexander Quisumbing of Quizgem, an advertising agency, blocktimer, and producer, said he issued checks to Manuel Garcia that were deposited in his accounts in Philtrust and Bank of Commerce in the amount of P16.1 million from 2006-2009.

Meanwhile, Ludovico Yuseco of Cross-Channel Advertising Services said he issued checks to Garcia worth P12 million from 2007 to 2010 that were deposited in Garcia’s Banco de Oro account.

Prior to the testimonies of Quisumbing and Yuseco, Garcia denied that he got 40 percent kickbacks from the advertising executives and requested that he be allowed to inhibit himself from the proceedings – a petition denied by the blue ribbon committee that is spearheading the investigation.

When Senator Franklin Drilon asked Quisumbing why he was testifying only now, the ad executive said: “I cannot swallow it anymore, the 40 percent.”

Quisumbing said there was an instance in the last quarter in 2010 when he proposed a program to Garcia who told him that it was ready for telecast in December of the same year only to find out that there would be no telecast at all.

“I spent so much money producing these shows, buying airtime and not collecting anything,” said Quisumbing, adding that it was Garcia and Rosario Uriarte, former PCSO general manager and vice chairperson, who approved program proposals.

Quisumbing and Yuseco filed a P28 million graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Garcia for allegedly demanding a cut from their payments from the PCSO for a number of years.