Former PCSO executives charged with graft

Monday 24th of October 2016

Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chairman Erineo "Ayong" Maliksi and 10 others have been charged with graft and breach of ethical conduct in connection with a drop of lotto revenues from 2012 to 2015, local media reports.

In July, Leon Peralta of the Anti-Trapo Movement of the Philippines called for the government prosecutor to indict former officials of the Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office over the extension of contracts for the lease of lottery terminals without public bidding.

According to the Inquirer, the anti corruption group filed the complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman alleging irregularities in the renewal contracts awarded to Philippine Gaming and Management Corp. (PGMC) and Pacific Online Systems Corp. (POSC) in 2015.

After filing the complaint, Peralta said they also charged the officials for their hand in the drop in lotto sales from P31.3 billion ($649.7 million) in 2012 to P28.9 billion in 2015.

The complaint stated that the "inaction of the officials constituting dereliction and omission of their sworn duties under the institution’s Charter, resulted in a significant decrease in the institution's revenues."

Yet PCSO officials still received heft allowances of up to P907.09 million from 2012 to 2014 and P306.036 million in 2015, read the complaint.

Peralta said the officials should return their bonuses to the medical support fund for the indigent beneficiaries.

Graft Charge Official Breach