Privatization of Pagcor eyed

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday hinted at turning over the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to the private sector, saying the government has apparently been shortchanged on the revenues generated by the state-owned gaming firm.

Mr. Aquino said the privatization of Pagcor would possibly end corruption in the agency by some officials who make it a milking cow.

Pagcor earns an estimated P30 billion a year in revenues for the government.

“We have uncovered several anomalies in

Pagcor amid allegations that the government is not really getting its share of the revenues,” Mr. Aquino told reporters during a dinner late Tuesday.

Mr. Aquino said it would be more practical to sell Pagcor and have it run by the private sector. He said private entities would be more professional in running the firm that would also translate to more profits for the government.

Former Pagcor chairman Efraim Genuino once claimed the gaming firm was raking in P30 billion in revenues for the government, allegedly a P20-billion improvement from the time they took over in January 2001.

The President said the time would come to have Pagcor privatized.

“In time, after we gather what really transpired in Pagcor in these nine and a half years (of the Arroyo administration),” Mr. Aquino said.

“We should ask the questions how come the government was not able to get the maximum revenues out of the (gaming) licenses that Pagcor issued,” he added.

Mr. Aquino said he would review Pagcor and the licenses that it had issued to gaming franchises, since some of the gambling casinos that were granted licenses are operating out of place.

“There are so many casinos in places that there are no tourists,” Mr. Aquino said.

“Gambling is not a productive activity, but if Pagcor finds the way to properly donate their revenues to the government, then thanks,” he said.

Mr. Aquino also revealed his desire to provide alternative livelihood to rural folk making a living from jueteng.

“We will provide, hopefully, more training that people will take advantage of, that would enable them to get jobs that would clean up their lives, in a more productive manner,” the President told reporters during a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

As he had said during the campaign, Mr. Aquino reiterated that he is against gambling, particularly jueteng.

“I don’t encourage gambling, it’s not a productive activity,” he said.

Mr. Aquino also clarified that jueteng is a “low priority” of his administration at this point since the Philippine National Police (PNP) is still preoccupied with peace and order, among other concerns, in every community.

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo earlier declared an all-out war against jueteng, making an example of the campaign he waged against illegal gambling in Naga City where he was mayor for several years.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. also said the Aquino administration is not prioritizing proposals on legalizing jueteng, a source of corruption among law enforcers and local officials.

“Jueteng is illegal right now, that is our official stand and there is no other stand,” Ochoa said.