Legazpi City -- The provincial lawmakers in Albay questioned the operation of Small Town Lottery across the province following reported fraudulent operation by the Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corporation (PPRC) here.

        Board Member Celso Aytona of the first congressional district asked his colleagues in the provincial board to conduct an investigation and compel the Philippine National Police in Bicol to appear before the regular session next week to shed light on the reported fraudulent operation of STL.

        ‘We received an information that the STL operation is just a ploy to cover up jueteng, the illegal numbers game, operating across the province of Albay. This is a violation to our enacted laws and jeopardizes the integrity of the draw, which is against our campaign to help the government eradicate the illegal numbers game,” Aytona said during the regular session on Wednesday.

        Last year, the provincial board enacted at least two resolutions which favorably endorsed the application of the Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corporation to conduct STL to combat jueteng operation.

        On November 29, 2006, the PSCO board through its Resolution No. 552 approved the operation of STL and granted the franchise to Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corp.

        Lourdes Ong, PPRC operator said that franchise was granted to them by PCSO last February 1, 2007 to cover Legazpi and Camalig in 2nd district, Polangui, Libon, Oas, Guinobatan, Ligao and Pioduran in 3rd ditrict and in the towns of Sto. Domingo, Malinao, Tiwi, Malilipot, Bacacay and Tabaco City.

        Ong said that the frequency of the draw, thrice a day from 11:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 9:15 in the evening, was approved under the supervision of the PCSO representatives.

        She explained that they’re remitting the corresponding shares to the local government units such as five percent to the province of Albay with P1,717,449.12 from February to May 2007, another five percent remitted to the PNP totaled at P 1,717,449.12, while 2.5 percent remitted to the representatives of the three solons in Albay totaled at P858,724,56 and PCSO 7.5 percent or P2,576,173.68 for charity. Ong did not explain further why they are remitting percentage shares to the Philippine National Police in Bicol.

        However, an STL draw coordinator here who asked not to be named told Bicol Mail that there was a deception in the operation of the small town lottery here.

        “The operator is raking big money from the Albayanos while only a tip of the iceberg is remitted to the provincial government. The real purpose of the STL operation is to combat jueteng; however, there was a deception being done by the Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corp. In the near future I will show the illegal draw scheme being perpetrated by the operator,” he said.

        He also explained that not all collections are remitted to the government’s coffer. “Half of the collections were purloined by the operator,” he said.

        Pedro Ibasco, Jr. provincial treasurer of Albay told Bicol Mail that the provincial lawmakers should conduct an investigation to countercheck the remittances of the Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corporation.

        “I think the provincial board of Albay should conduct an inquiry to countercheck the actual daily transaction to determine the accuracy of financial reports. With this we can check if the remittances given to us are correct based on actual income,” Ibasco told Bicol Mail.

        The operation of STL in Albay province is being scrutinized by the provincial lawmakers in Albay in view of the proliferation of “correadores” or bet collectors without the PCSO card.