Former PCSO officials face Senate probe

Former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), including those who supposedly received millions on pesos in kickbacks from the agency, on Thursday faced the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation on supposed anomalies in the charity fund. Present during Thursday's hearing were former PCSO vice chair Rosario Uriarte and former PCSO advertising and promotions manager Manuel Garcia, who allegedly received millions in kickback from the agency. Uriarte supposedly cashed a total of P315 million in intelligence funds and other allocations from the PCSO while senators computed that Garcia might have received P1.5 billion in kickbacks from the advertising contracts he drafted from 2003 to 2010. Aside from Uriarte and Garcia, those who showed up during Thursday's hearing were former PCSO chair Sergio Valencia, former board members Manuel Morato, Maria Fatima Valdes, Jose Taruc, and Raymundo Roquero. PCSO director Atty. Aleta Tolentino had earlier revealed that P6.9 million of the charity’s funds were allocated for the purchase of utility vehicles for certain prelates. During Wednesday's hearing, PCSO chair Margie Juico identified Church officials involved in the controversy. The Senate hearing on Thursday was ongoing as of posting time. — LBG, GMA News