GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The operations of authorized sweepstakes and lotto outlets of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) here are set to resume soon, with the issuance on Tuesday of official concurrence from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).
The City Council passed a resolution during its regular session, allowing the PCSO and its authorized franchisees to operate lotto and sweepstakes outlets within the city’s 26 barangays.
City Councilor Rosalita Nunez said the move practically allowed local lotto and sweepstakes outlets to resume their operations after being suspended by the city government last Friday due to the lack of official concurrence from the SP.
The official said sweepstakes and lotto outlets have long been operating and providing benefits for the city.
“This is a revalidation or confirmation of the existence and operations of sweepstakes and lotto in the city,” she said.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera issued on Sept. 14 a cease and desist order against the operations of all legal numbers game products of the PCSO pending the issuance of the council’s concurrence.
The order specifically covers the operations of all outlets for lotto, sweepstakes, Small Town Lottery (STL) and other related products.
He said such move is in compliance with the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9649, which amended the city charter.
Section 2 of RA 9649 added a new section, 101-A, to RA 5412 or the city charter, requiring the prior concurrence of the city government for the “establishment and/or operation of any form of gambling authorized under existing laws.”
City Councilor Franklin Gacal, chair of the SP Games and Amusement Committee, clarified that the approved resolution only covered the operations of lotto and sweepstakes.
He said the cease and desist order for the STL will continue until the SP issues a similar measure.
Gacal said the concurrence for lotto and sweepstakes was immediately approved as they don’t have any pending issue and their operations have so far “smooth sailing.”
“For the STL, we should study it first and put in place the necessary measures,” he said.
Last month, the SP called for the stoppage of STL operations in the city due to the lack of official concurrence from the local government, through the SP.
In a resolution, it declared the operations of PCSO’s authorized local franchise, Trento Gaming Corporation, as illegal and directed the city police to stop its operations.
With the issuance of the SP’s concurrence for the lotto and sweepstakes, city administrator, Lawyer Arnel Zapatos, said he will immediately recommend to the mayor the lifting of their cease and desist order.
He will also seek the issuance of another directive that would sustain the temporary stoppage of the STL operations.
“The mayor is very firm on this and he has ordered the business permits and licensing division to look into the compliance of the concerned outlets,” he said. (PNA
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