BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has affirmed that the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in the city is legal, despite the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) claim that the operator has no business permit.
Recently, the SP approved a resolution urging the Philippine National Police (PNP), through Mayor Greg Gasataya, to intensify its campaign against illegal gambling, particularly the alleged illegal STL operations in the city.
In a press conference on August 27, BCPO director Colonel Joeresty Coronica clarified that STL operations in Bacolod are “legal for now.”
He said the police are still awaiting comments from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the STL operator regarding the legality of their operations following the SP resolution.
Coronica added that documents were shown to the police indicating that the operator has the authority to operate, which justifies their existence.
“Unless there is another document that contradicts what we have, the STL operator in Bacolod is legal,” he said, stressing that their crackdown continues against “bookies” — unauthorized collectors who remit bets outside the official system.
He noted that some accredited STL collectors, while wearing their official identification cards, have been remitting collections to bookies instead of the authorized operator.
Meanwhile, Councilor Dindo Ramos, who authored the resolution, argued that STL operations in the city remain questionable since no business permit has been issued to the operator, and revenues are not being remitted to the local government.
Ramos emphasized that the PNP, as the primary law enforcement agency, is mandated to uphold laws and ordinances and conduct operations against all forms of illegal gambling.
It was also learned that bettors continue to operate in the city despite the STL operator not having secured a Resolution of No Objection (RONO) from the City Council./PN
