BACOLOD City – The Peryahan Draw Center on Burgos Street continues to operate.
Its operator, Global Tech Mobile Online Corp., insisted that their business is legal – defying the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) order for it to close down.
In addition, Global Tech provincial administrator Lito Estember filed criminal charges against PCSO executive assistant Manuel Fraginal Sr. for making the “verbal order” on April 16.
Fraginal directed the lottery draw court’s closure as he wielded a PCSO certification declaring all Peryahan operations “unauthorized and illegal.”
Estember told the press on Thursday that he filed charges for grave coercion and alarm and scandal against Fraginal at the City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday.
The Global Tech official also reported Fraginal to the police. In a blotter report, Estember quoted Fraginal as telling them, “Ilegal kayo. Hindi kayo nagbayad ng P100 million. Ilegal kayo.”
Panay News was still trying to reach Fraginal for comment as of press time.
Estember told the police Fraginal padlocked the lottery draw court’s rollup door and mounted on it a tarpaulin saying the business has been closed for violation of Republic Act 9287 (illegal gambling) without a court order.
“We are not illegal,” Estember stressed, pointing out that Fraginal had “no right” to close their business.
A case with regard to their status is pending with the Court of Appeals so they may still operate, he claimed.
In October last year the Regional Trial Court Branch 161 (Pasig City, Metro Manila) denied Global Tech’s appeal for a writ of preliminary injunction.
The PCSO then issued the certification declaring all Peryahan operations illegal on Feb. 27.
Global Tech has not applied for a business permit at the Permits and Licensing Division of the city government.
Estember claimed they need not secure a city hall-issued business permit because their operation is “nationwide.”
Global Tech has requested the Sangguniang Panlungsod to issue a Resolution of No Objection to allow its operation.
But the company has not yet secured this either. During its regular session on Wednesday, the city council forwarded the request to the City Legal Office for a legal opinion./PN
