EDITORIAL
FPJPM originally meant FPJ for President Movement and was organized during the campaign of movie action king Fernando Poe Jr. to support his candidacy for President. Da King failed in his first foray into politics, although it did not tarnish his reputation and even bolstered his image because of strong evidence that he was cheated in that election. That is however water down the river, not under the bridge because there was no bridge to begin with.
The original members of FPJPM chose to save their group despite the fact that Ronnie (Ronald Allan Poe, the real name of FPJ) was unsuccessful in his bid. They renamed the group Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement, Inc., and designated Edwin Valenzuela as spokesman.
Taking the image of an anti-corruption advocate, the FPJPM filed a case for graft and corruption and plunder against PCSO General Manager Mel Robles, Chairman Felix Reyes, along with senior officials of the PCSO and directors of a private corporation, in connection with the implementation of “E-Lotto,” pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement executed between PCSO and the Pacific Online Systems Corp. last year.
They were specifically charged with violation of Section 3(e) and (g) of R.A. No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and Section 2 of R.A. No. 7080, as amended (Plunder Law).
In reply, the PCSO described as dubious and highly questionable the graft and plunder complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman. General Manager Mel Robles explained that the technical rules on the agency’s betting platforms, which include e-lotto, have been approved by the Office of the President (OP).
The PCSO is conducting e-lotto pursuant to the authority given by the OP in 2021, given that it has sufficient authority and is in a better position to evaluate and approve its technical guidelines on betting platforms for the minimum technical requirements for its games, GM Robles explained.
“The OP guidance, being an act of the executive, remains valid until amended, revoked, or replaced by its issuing authority,” he pointed out.
Robles also said that the conduct of e-lotto is in accordance with the advice of PCSO’s statutory counsel, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), which also found the Memorandum of Agreement dated August 30, 2023 with Pacific Online System Corporation, tenable.
The OGCC has already clarified its earlier stand that policy considerations call for the payment of commissions in the form of reasonable costs, at a rate capped by PCSO Board of Directors according to its sound business judgment.
Robles qualified that the e-lotto is an exercise of the Board’s sound business judgment to increase sales revenues, by expanding the market for PCSO games using online and digital betting platforms.
Similarly, to increase sales revenues, the PCSO Board, in the exercise of its sound business judgment, previously approved the increase of the minimum guaranteed amount for jackpot prizes for lotto games to increase sales revenues.
As a result, the move by PCSO Board generated P879 million sales revenues, net of prizes.
GM Robles noted that the issues discussed in the Ombudsman complaint were already exhaustively discussed during the previous hearings conducted by both Houses of Congress, and were already answered and clarified by the agency.
In an earlier statement to the media, GM Robles said the complaints were already superseded by events because the OGCC had already approved the agreement. He wondered why the past leadership wasn’t included in the complaints, prompting him to theorize that the lawsuit was initiated by the former chairperson.
In all likelihood, the complaints against Robles and company are just harassment charges that can be easily dismissed.
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