LEGAZPI CITY -- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Albay slammed the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for granting the Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corp., one year extension for the operation of small town lottery here despite reported irregularities and for its failure to render official report before the local provincial board.

        Provincial Board Member Neil Montallana strongly denounced the PCSO during the regular session of the provincial board on Tuesday afternoon after provincial board member Harold Imperial, chairman of the committee on gambling and amusement volunteered the information that the PCSO gave the green light for one year extension of franchise to Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corporation (PPRC).

        Imperial informed his colleagues that the PCSO board of directors through Conrado C. Zabella, assistant general manager of online lottery sector has granted Ronal L. Bansil, president of the Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corp., to conduct actual test runs for the STL handheld terminals in Albay for another year.

        “The (PCSO) should have informed us first of the outcome of the STL test run in our province last year for us to know if the PPRC conformed with the laws passed during the incumbency of then Vice Gov. James Calisin before they could extend such franchise,” he said.

        The small town lottery caught the attention of the provincial board as a “disguise” to cover up jueteng operations due to the reported rise in the number of “coreadores” or bet collectors who do not possses official PCSO cards.

        While the small town lotteries are being drawn in Albay, a certain Gerry Geraldino has been accused by DZRC radio commentator Johnny Dematera as behind the illegal numbers game operation. Bicol Mail tried to contact Geraldino but to no avail.

        Montallana accordingly instructed Provincial Board Secretary Jun Vibal to invite PCSO representatives in Bicol to appear before the next session to explain why they have granted the franchise to PPRC the attendant controversies.

        Board Member Ostiano Calleja, chairman of the committee on human rights and housing development said that extending the franchise to PPRC without consultation with the provincial officials was an insult to the Albayanos.

        Board Member Ireneo Sales, chairman of the committee on laws said that the provincial board could revoke the license if they were not satisfied with the explanation of PCSO on the matter. “I received information that STL is a mere front of jueteng; so, we have the right to cancel or revoke any license or resolution authorizing the operation if we were not satisfied to their explanation,” Sales explained.

        In 2006, the provincial board passed at least two resolutions endorsing to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) the application of Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corp., to manage STL in the province as a tool to combat jueteng, an illegal numbers game.

        On February 1, 2007, the PCSO board approved the application and granted the franchise to Pilipinas Pacific Rim Corp to manage small town lotteries in Legazpi, and Camalig in the second district, Polangui, Libon, Oas, Guinobatan, Ligao and Pioduran in the third district and in the towns of Sto. Domingo, Malinao, Tiwi, Malilipot, Bacacay and Tabaco City in the first district.

        Board member Julio S. Tingzon 1V also lambasted the PPRC for snubbing invitations by various municipal councils in Albay to explain why remittances to the municipal LGUs were always delayed which made it easy for them to verify actual ticket sales vis-à-vis the remittances made.

        Pedro Ibasco Jr., provincial treasurer, admitted that local government units are toothless to counterchecking any incident of fraud in the remittances. “There’s no way for us to countercheck if there was really an irregularity because they never consulted the municipal local treasurers as regards measures to ensure correct amounts of remittances.

        “The PPRC is just like an ordinary business operator, so the LGU concerned have the power to examine their books of accounts in coordination with PCSO representatives. Through this book of account they could check if they accurately reported the actual net sell. Failure to do so is tantamount to closure of the erring establishment,“ he said.

        The PPRC, under the rules should remit corresponding shares from net sales, as follows: 5 percent to the provincial government; another 5 percent to the local PNP; 2.5 percent to the three House representatives, and; 7.5 percent to PCSO. \

        The provincial treasurer disclosed that that the PPRC has so far remitted P6,655,927.66 to the provincial government for the 11-month period from February to December 2007.