Many people are eyeing the position of retired Marine Maj. Gen. Alexander “Mandirigma” Balutan, who is the current general manager of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), because the billions and billions of pesos being generated from the Small Town Lottery (STL) make them salivate no end. Some people are even dropping the name of President Rodrigo Duterte and bragging about their Malacañang connection just to spread rumors that they will soon get Mandirigma’s position.
Corrupt people are spreading the ugly rumors, which only mean two things: They are betraying Mandirigma, or they fear losing their respective positions in PCSO because they will soon lose big. A fair warning to these people: In time, you will find your place in a hot seat!
In 2018, STL generated sales of P26.1 billion, a big contribution to PCSO’s total earnings of P63.55 billion for the year. Comprising a big chunk of PCSO revenues are earnings from the most patronized number games—the Lotto and Digit Games with a 14-percent increase at P31.9 billion, followed by STL that made an exceptional 66-percent increase from 2017’s P15.7 billion. Instant Sweepstakes posted P1.1 billion revenue, while Traditional Sweepstakes generated P4,867,500.
Looking back, since the President appointed Mandirigma in September 2016—because the President needs a “killer” (a leader with willpower and integrity) in PCSO to end the corruption inside the agency—STL earnings continued to grow.
Until 2016, STL was only limited to 18 players. That’s why Mandirigma launched the Expanded-STL in 2017, which continued to add more STL players until it reached 88. Every province now has STL players where jueteng, masiao and swertres-like games are now being played.
While there are still people operating illegal numbers games like jueteng, Mandirigma continues to encourage them to migrate to the legal STL so they can help the President in his all-out war against all forms of illegal gambling.
The public should support Mandirigma’s move to clean up the agency of corrupt people. That’s how everybody can help raise funds for the government’s charity programs.
There may be still a few people doing illegal numbers games, but I know Mandirigma won’t allow or tolerate them. Let us all watch how the agency utilizes its funds, especially in the information/dissemination aspect. For everyone’s information, PCSO does not get funds from the General Appropriations Act. Its funds solely come from the agency’s revenues. The total revenues of PCSO is divided thus: 55 percent goes to the prize fund, 15 percent goes to operating funds and 30 percent goes to the charity fund.
For every P24 lotto ticket that you buy, P6 automatically goes to the charity fund for the hospitalization, chemo/dialysis, surgery and other assistance needed by the indigents and less fortunate Filipinos.
E-mail: fetad@yahoo.com