Duterte mulls abolition of ‘most corrupt’ gov’t agency PCSO

Calling the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) the “most corrupt” government agency, President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted to study whether it should be abolished.

Speaking before local officials in Davao City, Mr. Duterte said the PCSO’s small-town lottery operation had been used for the illegal numbers game “jueteng.”

Not all of the earnings were turned over to the government and were instead pocketed, he said. The government lost millions of pesos a day, he added.

This was why, Mr. Duterte said, he had ordered officials to see if corruption in the agency could be licked.

“I told them, you make a study. If I’m not satisfied that it can really prevent corruption, I will recommend the abolition of the PCSO,” he said.

The President earlier said he had appointed retired Maj. Gen. Alexander Balutan the new general manager of the PCSO because he wanted someone who would kill corruption in the agency.

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