Ex-jueteng operators, 3 brgy captains among incorporators of ISTLGC
Personalities formerly linked to the operation of "daily double" in the city, as well as three barangay captains, are among the incorporators of Iloilo Small Town Lottery and Gaming Corporation (ISTLGC) which was recently given business permit to operate by the city government.
Listed as among the incorporators of ISTLGC are Roberto Onglatco and Danilo Sason, alleged former operators of "daily double" or jueteng, and barangay captains Guillermo de la Cruz, of Brgy. Ma. Cristina, Jaro, Cirilo Lapascua of Brgy. San Pedro, Molo and Irene Ong of Brgy. President Roxas, City Proper.
De la Cruz is named president of the corporation.
Other ISTLGC incorporators are Marcial Milan, Roland Locsin, former radioman and now Department of Interior and Local Government employee Arnel Asturias and Gilbert Paul Valderrama, chief of staff of the Representative Raul Gonzalez, Jr.
The Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) committee on games, amusement and professional sports headed by Councilor Armand Parcon has set a series of public consultations next week with regard to the proposed operation of STL in the city.
Both pro- and anti-gambling groups are expected to troop the SP conference room on Monday, the start of the series of public hearings.
The public hearing on the proposed operation of STL in the city is scheduled on June 19 20, 29 and 30. It will start from 9 in the morning until 12 noon. In the afternoon, the hearing will start from 2 pm until 5 pm.
Expected to attend in the first leg of public hearing next week are the incorporators of the ISTLGC.
The resurgence of the STL operation is the government's answer to combat the existence of the illegal number games in the country.
The Catholic church has openly expressed strong opposition to the revival of STL.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in its January 23, 2005 statement opposed all forms of gambling.
"The CBCP has made it a collective policy: a) To denounce illegal gambling in all its forms and prevent its legalization; b) To combat the expansion of organized and systemic legal gambling; c) To refrain from soliciting or receiving funds from illegal and legal gambling so as not to promote a culture of gambling; and d) To encourage church personnel and church institutions to refrain from doping the same, even when the objective may be that of helping the poor."
The church pointed out that based on the experience under the Aquino administration STL did not eradicate jueteng, which is an illegal numbers game, but only "helped jueteng to proliferate; and only the STL operators and financiers -- and some government officials -- made a lot of money."
The outcome of the public consultations will be the basis of the committee whether to allow STL to operate in the city or not.
Though the ISTLGC has already secured a business permit from the city government they still need a favorable endorsement by way of a resolution or a resolution of no objection from the SP before they will be allowed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to operate.
It is the PCSO which grants the applicant the franchise to operate.
The business permit of ISTLGC was approved by Vice Mayor Guillermo dela Llana last month when was the acting mayor of the city.
To note, Dela Llana openly favors the revival of STL purportedly to give the poor people livelihood.