PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Chairman Jose E. Corpuz said greater taxes on the sweepstakes and lotto prize fund, as proposed by the Finance department, would have a negative impact on revenue used to help fund government social programs.
THE PHILIPPINE CHARITY Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is targeting P35 billion in gaming revenue in 2015 in order to sustain funding support for the government’s health programs.
Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now a sitting lawmaker in the lower house of Congress, is flanked by husband Jose Miguel Arroyo (L) and her son Congressman Juan Miguel Arroyo inside the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court in Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 11, 2012. Arroyo entered a plead of not guilty before an anti-corruption court for her role in an aborted $329 million broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp in 2007 after a congressional inquiry in 2008 showed she allegedly did not stop her allies from collecting huge pay offs for the deal. Arroyo’s husband, a former communications minister and the former head of the country’s elections agency are facing similar corruption charges. REUTERS/Renz Joshua Posedio/ Philippine National Police-Public Information Office/Handout (PHILIPPINES – Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS MANILA (Mabuhay) – A former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member and co-accused of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in a P366-million plunder case entered Thursday a not guilty plea before the Sandiganbayan. Jose Taruc V, in handcuffs, arrived at the Sandiganbayan before 8 a.m.., dodging reporters’ questions on his decision to finally surface. He was arraigned at the anti-graft court’s First Division. Taruc surrendered to authorities last Monday after leaving the country on July 19, 2012, a week ahead the issuance of a hold departure order (HDO) Read More …
Two bettors will share a P27.893 million prize after winning the jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Lotto 6/42 draw Saturday night. In a post on its website, the PCSO said the winners got the correct combination of 11-21-12-04-20-08 to win the night’s jackpot. The winners were not identified. Just a day earlier, Friday, a bettor won P78,792,744 in the PCSO’s Megalotto 6/45 draw after getting the combination of 38-16-32-07-19-14. Last Jan. 20, a single lotto bettor got the combination of 02-38-32-19-08-03 to win the Grand Lotto jackpot worth P155,401,636. On Jan. 12, a lone bettor won the jackpot in the PCSO’s Superlotto 6/49 draw by getting the combination of 09-21-14-27-06-19 to win P24,816,752. Last Jan. 9, a bettor got the combination of 21-13-19-27-20-23 to win P22,425,340 in the PCSO’s Lotto 6/42 draw. The biggest lotto prize ever won was the November 2010 Grand Lotto jackpot worth P741.176 million, won with the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News
A lone bettor is now P17.093 million richer after winning the jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Lotto 6/42 draw Tuesday night. The PCSO said the winner got the correct combination of 29-39-11-15-07-21. But the PCSO, as in the past, did not identify the winner. On the other hand, the PCSO said no one won the Superlotto 6/49 jackpot. The combination of 46-49-15-16-35-18 would have meant a prize of P80,918,896. Last July 1, a lone lotto bettor became P178.849 million richer after hitting the jackpot of the PCSO Grand Lotto draw. The PCSO said the bettor got the combination of 09-21-43-35-54-12 to win the night’s jackpot worth P178,849,233.20. On June 28, a lone lotto bettor became P54.988 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the Megalotto 6/45 draw. The PCSO said the bettor got the correct combination of 20-19-42-18-32-01 to win the night’s jackpot worth P53,987,876. On June 4, a lone lotto bettor became P90.996 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the PCSO Superlotto 6/49 draw. But the biggest lotto prize ever won was the November 2010, when a lone bettor won some P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News
A lone lotto bettor became P54.988 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Megalotto 6/45 draw Friday night. The PCSO said the bettor got the correct combination of 20-19-42-18-32-01 to win the night’s jackpot worth P53,987,876. But as in the past, the PCSO is not likely to make public the winner’s name, for security reasons. On Thursday night, a lone winner bagged the P33.917-million jackpot of the PCSO’s Lotto 6/42 draw. Last June 6, two lotto bettors got the winning combination of 22-13-05-19-25-10 to win the Lotto 6/42 jackpot worth P39,462,944. On June 4, a lone lotto bettor became P90.996 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the PCSO Superlotto 6/49 draw. Last April 30, two lucky bettors shared P95,932,278 after getting the combination to the Superlotto 6/49 draw jackpot. But the biggest lotto prize in recent history was still in November 2010, when a lone bettor won some P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — ELR, GMA News
It has always been this column’s policy to give credit where credit is due. We just learned that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), over a span of one week, garnered two noteworthy awards. First was an excellent rating from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for strict compliance with the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA). And according to PCSO chairperson Margie Juico, the award is something to be happy and proud about. For years, PCSO had been handicapped by poor and inefficient services. Deplorably, it had also been used as a political milking cow and dumping ground for favored politicians. The mandate to maximize and extend charity assistance to the poor had been sideswept, among other things, by these practices. Juico said that the new PCSO Board has been trying to restore public faith in the agency as the primary government arm for the welfare of the poor. She pointed out that “the tasks have not been easy especially since there are detractors from the outside and within. But I think we have made some significant breakthroughs. The award is meaningful in more ways than one, because it showcases the agency’s very much improved quality of service to its poor clients, especially in their medical needs.” PCSO, for instance, has set up a central public service office desk which serves as a public assistance and complaints desk. A comfortable waiting area with TV monitors for the queuing system has been designated. Free water for the clients is also daily provided and Read More …
Two lotto bettors are some P19 million richer after they won the jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Lotto 6/42 draw Thursday night. In a post on its website, the PCSO said the two got the winning combination of 22-13-05-19-25-10 to win the jackpot worth P39,462,944. Also on Thursday, a lone winner bagged the P16-million jackpot in the Superlotto 6/49 draw after getting the combination of 40-20-26-15-45-36. The PCSO did not identify any of the night’s winners. Last Tuesday, a lone lotto bettor became P90.996 million richer after hitting the jackpot in the PCSO Superlotto 6/49 draw. The PCSO said the bettor got the winning combination of 20-05-45-35-26-21 to win the night’s jackpot worth P90,996,106.40. Last April 30, two lucky bettors shared P95,932,278 after getting the combination to the Superlotto 6/49 draw jackpot. But the biggest Lotto prize won is still the November 2010 draw, when a lone bettor won some P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News
Two lucky bettors will be about P47.96 million richer each after bagging the jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Superlotto 6/49 draw Tuesday night. In a post on its website, the PCSO said the two got the combination of 06-10-16-24-09-05 to jointly win the jackpot worth P95,932,278. As in the past, the PCSO is not likely to name the winners for security reasons. Just last Monday, a lone winner won the Megalotto 6/45 draw, getting the combination of 34-37-17-09-14-21 to bag the night’s jackpot worth P45,049,768.20. Last April 20, a lone winner became P132 million richer after bagging the PCSO Grand Lotto draw jackpot. But the biggest lotto prize ever won is still the November 2010 draw, when a lone bettor won P741.176 million for getting the winning combination 11-16-42-47-31-37. — DVM, GMA News
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will testify for her own defense in the trial of her plunder case at the Sandiganbayan First Division. Arroyo, the incumbent congresswoman of Pampanga’s second district, is the only witness on the defense list, according to her pre-trial brief filed Wednesday. In the seven-page brief, Arroyo’s lawyers said she’s the sole defense witness since the individuals who have personal knowledge of the fund transactions cannot be compelled to take the witness stand as they are her co-accused in the case, which concerned allegations of fraudulent handling of P366 million confidential intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Arroyo’s co-defendants were PCSO general manager Rosario C. Uriarte; former PCSO Board chairman Sergio O. Valencia; PCSO board directors Manuel L. Morato, Jose R. Taruc V, Raymundo T. Roquero and Ma. Fatima A. S. Valdes; PCSO budget and accounts manager Benigno B. Aguas; former Commission on Audit chairman Reynaldo A. Villar; and former COA-Intelligence Fund Unit head Nilda B. Plaras. Arroyo, who is seeking re-election in next month’s midterm elections, said she has no personal knowledge about “the release, disbursement, use and liquidation” of the PCSO confidential intelligence funds. For this reason, Arroyo said she would rather wait for her co-accused to finish their own presentations before starting her own defense. “She thus prays that… she be allowed to present evidence last so that she may adopt the testimonies of her co-accused who may testify in their behalf or of such witness as they may present during trial,” her lawyers said. However, Read More …