| STL
guidelines violate LGC on powers of provinces, govs decry
 |
PCSO
assistant general manager for on-line lottery operations,
Mr. Conrado Zabella, discussed the mechanics as well
as the rules and regulations governing the operations
of STL. |
AMEND
or suspend.
Notwithstanding reports that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office has begun the actual test runs of the small town lottery
(STL), the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) maintained
its firm stand against the same for having circumvented the
Local Government Code.
The
LPP, speaking through its national president, Bohol Gov. Erico
B. Aumentado, said they earlier requested the PCSO to suspend
the implementation of the STL in the provinces until its rules
and regulations are amended.
The resolution, approved by the general assembly of the league
during its meeting recently, came about after a discussion
with PCSO officials revealed that the rules and regulations
in the test run of the STL circumvent the Local Government
Code relative to the powers, and duties and functions of provincial
governments.
“The PCSO has began pilot testing of STL in some provinces
without securing the permission of the concerned provincial
chief executives or the concerned Sangguniang Panlalawigan,”
Aumentado pointed out.
The rules on the STL as drafted by the PCSO provide that the
endorsement of the local chapter of the League of Municipalities,
even without the necessary Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution,
of the concerned province would be a sufficient requirement
for the issuance of the franchise or Deed of Authority.
Gov. LRay Villafuerte pointed out that the concern of the
governors stemmed from the fact that the PCSO was not transparent
in making the guidelines governing the actual test runs of
the STL and the provision on the LMP resolution goes against
the powers vested in the governors.
The PCSO has conceptualized the STL as a legalized alternative
to jueteng, masiao, “last two” and the like.
Aumentado said the governors stand firmly behind the provisions
of the Local Government Code that all ordinances and resolutions
of Sangguniang Bayan are subject to the review of the concerned
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, hence the need to require the pertinent
Resolution of the concerned Sangguniang Panlalawigan for the
operation of STL in local communities.
A number of provincial chief executives, particularly Govs.
Enrique T. Garcia of Bataan, Josephine Sato of Oriental Mindoro,
Armando Sanchez of Batangas and Carmencita Reyes, have categorically
expressed their opposition to the operation of STL in their
respective provinces.
LPP executive vice president Tomas N. Joson III lamented that,
“it is not right that the provincial government will
be the last to know (about the pilot testing of STL in the
municipalities.)”
While PCSO assistant general manager for online lottery sector
Conrado Zabella said that the revival of the STL was in response
to the clamor of local government officials to provide a legal
livelihood to those displaced by jueteng, the governors stood
pat to their position that the provincial governments were
being by-passed in the approval of franchises for the STL.
Notwithstanding the assurance from Zaballa that it will not
operate in provinces where the governors object to it even
if they can legally do so, Gov. Leandro Verceles Jr. requested
the PCSO to write the governors about the operation of STL
in their area of jurisdiction, “and if they object,
then don’t push it.”
The League of Provinces, in its resolution League asked the
PCSO to suspend the implementation of the STL in the provinces
until the rules and regulations are duly amended, and the
concerns of the provinces are adequately addressed. (ANGELICA
J. SANCHEZ)
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