Bulacan gov: I respect mayors’ stand on STL

Bulacan Gov. Josefina de la Cruz said yesterday she would not oppose the operation of small town lottery (STL) in the province because the local mayors had endorsed its test-run in their respective cities and municipalities.

De la Cruz told The STAR that the Bulacan mayors’ league had endorsed an authorized agent of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to operate STL in the province.

"I did not oppose them. The mayors wanted it. I thought I should respect their position on this, and I heard may test-runs na sila," she said.

She said she has not received any word from the Catholic Church about its position on STL.

"I think, in a way, this is better than the illegal way," she said, apparently referring to jueteng.

De la Cruz said she believes that STL could provide real job opportunities for Bulakeños.

Thousands of jueteng bet collectors lost their source of income following the government’s intensified crackdown on jueteng last year.

Romualdo Quinones, PCSO manager for special projects, said in an earlier interview that the provincial government would get five percent of the net income from STL in each town.

Each municipality, for its part, would get a 10 percent share of the net profit from the local STL operation.

Guiguinto Mayor Ambrosio Cruz, who chairs the Bulacan mayors’ league, said the PCSO picked Diamond Gaming and Research Center, after screening all applicants, to conduct STL test-runs in the province.

Cruz said the mayors agreed to allow the STL test-runs to generate much-needed funds for pro-poor projects of their respective local governments.

"I am against gambling, but if we are allowing the operation of lotto and sweepstakes, we might as well allow STL to operate," he said.