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ANGELES CITY: The city council urged the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office to cancel the small town lottery franchise for
several alleged violations, including failure to meet financial
obligations to human resources management.
Sangguniang panlungsod Resolution No. 5539
series of 2008, also ordered the Philippine National Police to
“strenghten and widen its campaign against illegal numbers game”
and any gambling activities in this city.
The resolution, as approved by the majority of
the city council, sought the revocation and non-renewal of the
lottery franchise of Lake Tahoe Gaming and Amusement Corp. (LTGAC)
that permits it to run the lottery as it expires on June 12 this
year.
It also stated that the LTGAC allegedly engaged
in “fraudulent and false submission of actual gross receipts of
the bets/sales, thus effectively denying PCSO, the Philippine
National Police and the Angeles City Government of the actual
amount/share due them.”
It also alleged that the STL is being used as a
front for illegal gambling.
SP members Ricardo Zalamea, Ares Yabut, Arvin
Suller, Danilo Lacson, Agapito Del Rosario, Carl John Miranda and
Robin Nepomuceno signed the measure.
The resolution likewise noted that the gaming
corporation also failed to pay government its due to agencies such
as Social Security System, PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig.
The company reportedly has 2000 employees and
independent contractors but it failed to submit a list of personnel,
the council also said.
The council also questioned the financial
capability of LTGAC stockholders to operate the lottery. It
fell short of identifying the composition of the gaming firm though.
“The more than two years of operation of the
small town lottery project in Angeles City by LTGAC did not
effectively obliterate the proliferation of the illegal numbers game
in the city as evidenced by the filing of several criminal
cases/information for violation of Presidential Decree 1602,” the
resolution added.
-- Armand M. Galang
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