ILOILO City – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) ordered its local branches to coordinate with the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation in running after Peryahan ng Bayan operators.
Peryahan games are still suspended, pointed out PCSO vice president and general manager Royina Garma.
In July 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the suspension of all PCSO games including lotto, Peryahan ng Bayan, Keno, and small town lottery for alleged corruption.
PCSO wrote the Office of the President (OP) in October 2019 for the resumption of Peryahan games, but was denied in a January 2020 memorandum issued by the OP.
The resumption of Peryahan operation does not bear the approval of the President, and therefore is still subject to the suspension order of the PCSO games, Garma reiterated.
ILOILO’S PERYAHAN
In the city and province of Iloilo, Peryahan ng Bayan is still reportedly holding draws.
The Peryahan ng Bayan lottery outlet on Arroyo Street here was padlocked on Tuesday by the Regional Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office 6 but it reportedly continued operations the following day.
PCSO-Iloilo assistant branch manager Ryan Avelino said it’s in the hands of law enforcement units now to operate against Peryahan operators.
He further emphasized that game operations by the Globaltech Mobile Online Corp. (Peryahan’s authorized agent corporation) were suspended last Feb. 6, 2020 by the OP, and it will “remain suspended until further notice”.
Iloilo was also not included in the 15 areas of Peryahan games covered by the status quo ante order (SQAO) issued by the Court, Avelino said citing a PCSO certification dated June 29, 2021.
Why the continued operations?
Globaltech has reportedly been banking on the SQAO issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 166 in Pasig City on May 17, 2016 in favor of them.
However, in a decision dated June 17, 2021, the same court ruled that the SQAO issued to Globaltech was “amended, suspended and rendered ineffective” by the subsequent orders.
Also, Avelino added that the SQAO was adversely affected by the OP’s January 2020 memorandum.
Avelino added that the Consolidated Decision did not say that the SQAO will remain effective regardless of the subsequent findings and ruling of the RTC 161, and despite the subsequent issuances of the OP.
He also noted that when the RTC, Branch 161 resolved to deny the Application of Issuance of Writ of Injunction filed by Globaltech on Oct. 13, 2017, the SQAO is deemed vacated./PN
