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Senators question cartel in PCSO lease deal


The Senate blue ribbon committee on Tuesday questioned the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's (PCSO) supposed disadvantageous equipment lease agreement with a Malaysian-owned company. During Tuesday's hearing, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile asked PCSO officials why the Malaysian-owned Philippine Gaming Management Corporation (PGMC) only provided lottery terminals to Luzon despite winning the national bidding. He likeiwse asked why the contracts for Visayas and Mindanao were awarded to a joint venture of the two losing bidders – G-Tech and Tanjong. "PCSO disregarded (the bidding) and divided the pie... worse than monopoly, it's a cartel," he said. Former PCSO chair Manoling Morato, however, said it was former Pres. Fidel Ramos, through the presidential legal counsel, who told them to divide the contract among the bidders. "Everything that happened during my time was upon the instruction of the President," he said. Enrile asked why he did not object to the instruction which seemed anomalous. "Did you love your job so much that you did not say no?" he said. Morato, for his part, said he never asked for the job and that Ramos insisted that he take the job. On the other hand, Senator Panfilo Lacson asked the officials why it was giving 10 percent of its gross receipts to PGMC as part of their deal although it violated the PCSO's charter. No former PCSO officials could explain why the charity fund was giving PGMC such an amount. However, PCSO board member Atty. Aleta Tolentino admitted that it was in violation of the PCSO charter. The hearing was still going on as of posting time. - VVP, GMA News

Tags: senate, pcso, congress
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