Jinggoy urges PCSO to return P600-M unclaimed winnings to Treasury

Sen. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada asked yesterday the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to return to the National Treasury the P600-million unclaimed winnings of PCSO, one of the government’s most efficient revenue earners.

Estrada made the call as he opposed the present system of the PCSO which automatically includes unclaimed winnings in the agency’s charity fund.

He said that placing the PCSO’s unclaimed prize money in the National Treasury would prevent diversion of the fund into possible anomalous deals.

"Reverting the unclaimed winnings of the PCSO to the national treasury is safer because any fund release from the agency is based on budget allocated by law while PCSO (charity) fund releases (are) controlled by the agency’s top officials who are appointed by Malacañang," he said.

Estrada was dragged into controversy involving the distribution of ambulances to local government units in Metro Manila during his stint as president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines under his father’s administration.

Estrada, who is preparing a Senate resolution that will call on the committee on games and amusements to investigate the matter, said that it is necessary to look into how the PCSO handles unclaimed lotto and sweepstakes winnings.

He said that the Senate should also investigate, "in aid of legislation," the status of unclaimed prizes which the PCSO earlier confirmed to have already reached P624,285,174 from 1996 to 2002 from the online lottery and sweepstakes winnings.

Newspapers, according to Estrada, also published last Wednesday a paid advertisement of the PCSO that reported the unclaimed winnings would be reverted to the charity fund.

Estrada cited Section 6 paragraph A of Republic Act 1169, or the PCSO charter, which requires that "prizes not claimed by the public within one year from the date of the draw shall be considered forfeited, and shall form part of the charity fund."

He said that the PCSO mandate also states that 55 percent of the net receipts be set aside as a prize fund; 15 percent goes to agency operations and 30 percent to the charity fund.

"This means that P3 of every P10 earned by the agency goes to charity," Estrada said.

Estrada said that the PCSO charter could be amended to call for reversion of unclaimed winnings to the national treasury and thereby reduce the budget deficit.

He however cautioned that returning the unclaimed prize money to the national treasury would not guarantee that it will not be siphoned off by Malacañang for its projects especially during the elections.

"There were allegations during the last May 10 presidential elections that Malacañang used some PCSO funds in the campaign for the election of the candidates of the Arroyo administration," Estrada said.