PAGLABAG sa umiiral na “gun Ban” ngayong election season ang ginagawa ng mga tiwaling tauhan ng Bureau of Corrections sa Iwahig Penal Colony dahil bukod sa pinalalabas na nila ang mga preso na walang court order at sumusunod sila sa verbal order lamang ng kanilang Director General, nagdadala pa ng baril ang ulo ng demolition team at nabatid na kinasahan at binantaang babarilin ang mga katutubong Tagbanua.
Ayon sa source ng pahayagang ito, sa loob ng limang buwan mula nuong nakaraang taon ay walang habas na ang pagpapadala ng trak trak na kolono o preso buhat sa Iwahig sa Bgy. Montible armado ng mga itak at pamalo, tinatakot at binabaklas ang mga kabahayan ng mga katutubong Tagbanua na napag alaman sa NCIP na bahagi ng kanilang “Ancestral Domain”.
Sa panayam rin ng pahayagang ito sa mga kalapit na barangay ay tinututulan nilang maigi ang pagkakaroon ng penal colony sa kanilang lugar at nais nga nila ay ilipat ng gobyerno kahit sa isang isla ang mga preso sa nasabing piitan.
Ang mga criminal umano na gumagawa ng krimen sa labas ay sinasabing galing sa loob ng bilangguan na pinalalabas bilang bayarang mamamatay tao kaya takot na takot ang mga mamamayan sa paligid sa mga kolono.
Ang pagturing sa Iwahig bilang tourist spot ngayon na inisyatiba ng LGU ng Puerto Princesa ay paraan lamang upang hindi malaman ng marami sa labas ng Palawan ang hinaing ng mga mamamayan ng PPC.///Abdul Malik Bin Ismail, abdulmalikbinismail6875@gmail.com 09333816694

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STL earnings up by 65% in 2018

The year 2018 was definitely a tough year for Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), but seeing how the agency hurdled all the
challenges, how it grew as an agency and breached last year’s target, make
all the sacrifices and efforts worthwhile.

“My first two years as General Manager was no joke. President Rodrigo
Duterte appointed me here in 2016 because he expected so much from me –
that I will deliver, that I will stop illegal gambling. I cannot say 100
percent na wala ng illegal gambling kasi meron pa rin talagang
mangilan-ngilan na nag-i-iligal at matitigas ang ulo pero unti-unti na
silang nagma-migrate sa STL, but from original 18, we now have 84
Authorized STL Agents (ASAs) nationwide,” revealed PCSO General Manager
Alexander Balutan.

From P4.7 billion earnings in 2016, the agency was able to raise it to
P15.7 billion in just one year, ending 2018 with P26,103,422,348.39 gross
sales, a 65 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

“This is record high in history of PCSO even in any other agency. Sinong
hindi matutuwa? Kaya talaga abot-abot ang aking pasasalamat sa ating gaming
public sa pagtangkilik sa ating mga produkto, sa ating mga masisipag na
empleyado at branch managers, at s’yempre sa ating mga STL operators at
agents nationwide,” added Balutan.

Of the P63.55 billion gross sales in 2018, Lotto and digit games was the
highest earning product at P31,902,529,360 followed by STL.

“In 2016, P37.4 billion lang ang kinita ng ahensya. Nung maupo kami ni
former PCSO Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz, we ended 2017 with P53.9 billion
sales to almost P54 billion. Ngayon kasama ni PCSO Chairman Anselmo Simeon
Pinili at mga Board of Directors, tinapos natin ang 2018 ng may P63.55
billion na kita,” said Balutan.

STL was introduced in 2006 as part of the government campaign to eradicate
illegal numbers game, but the initial implementation was not successful.

Over the years, the agency was plagued with alleged corrupt activities that
even President Rodrigo Duterte described it as the “most corrupt agency in
the government”.

To help fight crime and corruption, the President appointed former
uniformed men in government offices, such as Balutan as PCSO’s general
manager.

Balutan, a battle-tested former marine general who earned the moniker
“Mandirigma” (warrior) from his many battles and years in Mindanao, was
described by the President as “berdugo”.

Unlike in jueteng, which is being drawn only under a mango tree, STL has
draw courts where proceedings are being supervised by representatives from
PCSO and Commission on Audit (COA).

“Kaya malaki ang tiwala ng tao kasi sabi ko nga, nakikita nila ang in and
out ng pera. Ang laki ng kinikita ng STL. Kung talagang ipa-patronize ng
publiko lahat ng ating produkto, mas malaki pa ang ating kikitain at
maitutulong sa ating mga kababayang nangangailangan ng tulong medikal,”
added Balutan.

Balutan was aware that many people were affected by the implementation of
STL, especially illegal gambling operators and their local government
protector, which led them to discredit STL.

“Alam n’yo ba na bukod sa nire-remit ng ating mga STL operators na ingreso
sa PCSO, may efforts din ang ilan sa kanila na tumulong sa pamamagitan ng
mga medical at relief missions lalo na sa mga lugar na naapektuhan ng mga
bagyo. Eh ‘yung mga jueteng lords nagagawa ba ‘yan?” added Balutan.

PCSO Charter, or RA 1169, particularly on revenue allocation, provides that
the revenue of the PCSO shall be allocated to 55 percent for prize fund
(payment of prizes), 30 percent for charity fund (various charity programs
and service) and 15 percent as operating fund (maintenance and operating
expenses).

“Tangkilikin po natin ang ating mga produkto. Kapag tumaya ka, bukod sa
mga tsansa kang manalo, makakatulong ka pa. Bawat taya para sa kawanggawa,”
Balutan ended.

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PCSO earns P63B in 2018, breaches P60B target

Amidst the persistent operations of illegal numbers game activities such as
jueteng, Small Town Lottery (STL) revenues continue to soar due to
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander
Balutan’s unwavering resolve in aggressively implementing Executive Order
13 of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“The official results are in, and I am very excited to report that STL hit
P26 billion gross sales in 2018 from just P4.7 to 5 billion a year during
the previous years. In fact, our overall gross sales is P63 billion,
breaching our P60 billion target,” said Balutan.

In a data provided by the Gaming, Product Development and Marketing Sector
headed by Assistant General Manager Arnel Casas, PCSO earned a whopping
P63,557.912,238.39 in 2018.

Of that amount, P31,902,529,360 came from Lotto and digit games,
P26,103,422,348.39 from STL, P4,397,969,030 from Keno, P1,149,124,000 from
Instant Sweepstakes Ticket (PMC), and P4,867,500 from Sweepstakes.

“As you can see, ang laki talaga ng kinikita ng STL tapos sasabihin nila na
front lang ng jueteng. Palibhasa nawawalan na ng kita itong mga iligalista
na ito. Next to Lotto and digit games, STL talaga ang nagpapasok ng kita sa
ahensya na itinutulong natin sa mga kapuspalad na nangangailangan ng tulong
medikal tapos sinisiraan pa nila,” lamented Balutan.

From its P15,742,331,964.66 gross sales in 2017, STL is up by 65 percent
this year.

“More than 50 percent ang inangat ng STL. Kung papayagan nating bumalik sa
jueteng, saan tayo kukuha ng P2 billion every month or P26 billion kada
taon? Jueteng lords lang ang kikita d’yan!” said Balutan.

Executive Order No. 13 was signed by President Duterte on February 2, 2017
seeks to “intensify” the government’s fight against illegal gambling.

The EO orders the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of
Investigation, Department of Justice, Department of Interior and Local
Government, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology
to work together and intensify their efforts in curbing illegal gambling.

“I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our employees and branch
managers for a job well done. Doble at tripleng trabahong ipinakita ninyo.
Same goes to our Authorized STL agents, employees, kaboes, and kubradores,
talagang ka-partner kayo ng PCSO para isawata ang illegal gambling,” said
Balutan.

“Of course, I would like to mention the efforts of our law enforcement
agencies and NBI agents who are helping us during the raid. Kahit makasuhan
kami, we will fight what is legal – ang STL. And this is not only my
accomplishment as General Manager, but the accomplishment of whole PCSO.
Makakaasa kayo na mas lalo pa naming pagbubutihin ang aming kita at
serbisyo. Mabuhay tayong lahat!” he added.

PCSO Charter, or RA 1169, particularly on revenue allocation, provides that
the revenue of the PCSO shall be allocated to 55 percent for prize fund
(payment of prizes), 30 percent for charity fund (various charity programs
and service) and 15 percent as operating fund (maintenance and operating
expenses).