Senate blue ribbon committee urged to seek criminal prosecution for PCSO execs

The Senate blue ribbon committee that is investigating alleged anomalous transactions in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) should recommend to the Ombudsman the criminal prosecution of all PCSO officials that benefitted from them, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate blue ribbon committee that is investigating alleged anomalous transactions in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) should recommend to the Ombudsman the criminal prosecution of all PCSO officials that benefitted from them, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said Wednesday.

“I move that the blue ribbon committee recommend to the Ombudsman the criminal prosecution of all PCSO officials that benefitted from the P1.5 billion funds without the approval of the Department of Finance,” said Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago before the resumption of the hearing on the PCSO controversy.

At the same time, Santiago said that she would hold a public hearing in August for
new charters for the PCSO and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

Santiago, who heads the committee on constitutional amendments, said the agenda would include a review of the existing PCSO and Pagcor charters, which provided for a “black budget” that was received and spent by the government and that was “insulated from public scrutiny.”

Santiago said that she would, for example, propose a new law that would repeal not only the PCSO charter but would limit the PCSO board into “regulating and supervising the sweepstakes and lotto.”

She proposed that the entire revenues of the PCSO for the year would be remitted to the national treasury except for 5 percent that will go to the local government units (LGUs) and 10 percent for the administrative and operational expenses of the PCSO.

The PCSO has been embroiled in controversy over these past months because of alleged anomalous transactions that included the purchase of vehicles for the bishops.

The Senate blue ribbon committee conducted the investigation that ended this Wednesday when the bishops apologized.