By Mortz C. Ortigoza
URDANETA CITY – Amidst the proliferation of illegal number game
jueteng, the newly appointed police regional director directed the police
provincial director of Pangasinan to assist the new government sanctioned Small
Town Lottery’s franchisee in the area.
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TOP GUNS. Executives of the Speed Game, Inc lead by its President Edward J. Aguilar (second from left) answer media queries on the operation of the betting game sanctioned by the government.
Other officers of the SGI at the photo are, from left, District Coordinator Alfie Soriano, Legal Consultant Gerald Gubatan, Operation Manager Jose Millora, and Provincial Administrator Anthony Angangco. Photo by Mortz C. Ortigoza
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Police Chief Superintendent Romulo E. Sapitula, on a memorandum,
instructed Pangasinan's Police Provincial Office Director Senior Supt. Ronald
Oliver Lee to direct his chiefs of police in the 44 towns four cities’ province
to eradicate jueteng operations so the Philippine Charity Sweepstake
Office-Small Town Lottery (PCSO-STL) Authorized Agent Corporation (AAC) Speed
Game, Incorporated (SGI) can effectively operate its daily betting games'
business in Pangasinan.
“The success of the said game will help the National Government raise additional charity funds and broaden the number of people who will greatly benefit from PCSO’s medical charity assistance work for the less privileged. Additional revenues from the game are also intended to benefit various offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by way of allocating corresponding STL shares from the gross sales of the STL operations,” Chief Supt. Sapitula on his January 2 directive to S/Supt. Lee by quoting the letter sent to the former last December 18, 2017 by PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan.
Balutan wrote the Police General that the PCSO recently approved SGI as
the STL's Authorized Agent Corporation in the Province of Pangasinan in line
with the expansion of the STL operations nationwide which was formally launched
on February 2006.
Sapitula ordered Lee to submit the result of his action in favor of
Speed Game, Incorporated versus the presence of gambling operators and their
agents who illegally collect bets in the province.
SGI and PCSO-Pangasinan just opened its operation by showing to the
media last Wednesday its first draw at its newly constructed office and betting
station in Barangay San Vicente here.
The press conference that followed was led by Speed Game President
Edward J. Aguilar, Provincial Administrator Anthony Angangco, Operation Manager
Jose Millora, District Coordinator Alfie Soriano, Legal Consultant Gerald
Gubatan, and PCSO –Pangasinan Manager Editha Romero.
Television and radio reports recently said that the personnel of the National
Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation & Detection Group of
the PNP have been preoccupied raiding and arresting collectors of illegal
gambling operators like Peryahan ng Bayan (PnB) in different parts of the
province in violation of Republic Act No. 9287 or An Act Increasing the
Penalties for Illegal Number Games, others.
Speed Game, the second bidder at the STL, succeeded Golden Go Rapid
Gaming Corporation (GGRGC) as the latter defaulted to remit to the
PCSO P7.5 million a day or P225 million a month of its presumptive monthly
retail receipt (PMRR).
Speed Game Lawyer Gubatan said the daily contract of the AAC to PCSO is
P117 million monthly or P3.9 million daily.
The proliferation of jueteng operations in the province, a source said,
ensued after the termination by the PCSO of GGRGC late last year.
Antony Angangco disputed the temporary restraining order (TRO) crowed
by the lawyer of the PnB in the media by telling the public that it had been
denied by the Regional Trial Court in Pasig City.
Balutan certified in November 16, 2017 that the operation of Peryahan
ng Bayan was terminated by the PCSO’s Board of Directors through Resolution No.
51 Series of 2016 effective February 17, 2016.
“The
termination of this Deed of Authority is subject of Civil Case No. 75148
between Globaltech and PCSO pending before the Regional Trial Court of Pasig
City, Branch 161. The said Court issued an Order dated 13 October 2017 in Civil
Case No. 75148 containing the clear directive denying Globaltech’s application
of writ of injunction (Annex “B”)”
On its decision, the Pasig City’s RTC said in part on its rejection of
the operator of PnB: “All told the Motion for Issuance of Writ of Injunction
is denied for lack of merit and the parties are directed upon receipt of this
order to arbitrate pursuant to the Special Rules of Court on Alternative
Dispute Resolution”.
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