‘Peryahan’ defies PCSO

News | Panay News

BACOLOD City – The “unauthorized and illegal” lottery draw court that was ordered shut on Monday is still operating.

The Global Tech Mobile Online Corp., which manages all Peryahan draw centers in the country, continues to do business along Burgos-Lacson streets in the city despite not having authorization from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

PCSO Executive Assistant IV Manuel Fraginal Sr. went to the draw center on Monday to direct its closure, bringing with him a PCSO certification declaring that all Peryahan ng Bayan operations in the country are “unauthorized and illegal.”

The PCSO issued the certification on Feb. 27, following a decision from the Regional Trial Court Branch 161 in Pasig City, Metro Manila denying Global Tech’s appeal for a writ of preliminary injunction last year.

Officers from the Bacolod City Police Office were there when Fraginal, also PCSO’s Inter-Branch Security Monitoring head, made his personnel place outside the establishment a tarpaulin indicating the center violated Republic Act 9287, which has increased the penalties for illegal numbers games.

But when the PCSO team and the police left, Global Tech personnel removed the tarpaulin which they said tamper with their operation.

Peryahan provincial administrator Lito Estember earlier said he will not close the center as they await advice from their legal counsel.

Nag-operate pa rin sila. Bawal nga ito sabi ko sa ’yo…Ang batas na dala ko hindi ko ‘yun [gawa-gawa]. Basahin nila. Nandyan sa website ang EO (Executive Order). Baka magising si President dito at malasin sila,” Fraginal told this reporter yesterday.

He was referring to President Rodrigo Duterte’s EO No. 13 calling for an intensified fight against illegal gambling.

The EO also sought to clarify the jurisdiction and authority of concerned agencies in the regulation and licensing of gambling and online gaming facilities.

Fraginal said he will go back to the draw center and see if it still uses the PCSO logo while operating illegally.

He added that he will secure a search warrant before he goes back there.

Kung dinampot ng PNP (Philippine National Police) kahapon (April 16), magagawa nila ‘yun. Humuhuhuli nga sila ng sabungane kahit may permit. How much more ang iyan na high-profile na laro?” Fraginalsaid.

But BCPO head Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo said they cannot arrest the center’s personnel for they do not have a court order.

“Our responsibility is to provide peace and order in the area.We are not tasked to do the padlocking just like the Bureau of Internal Revenue when they do an operation,” Ebreo added./PN

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