House panel probes ‘Bingo Milyonaryo’

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on games and amusement will continue its investigation into the operations of the “Bingo Milyonaryo” of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) that is allegedly being used as front for illegal gambling by some of its operators.

Cavite City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., chairman of the panel, said the committee will resume hearings in the coming weeks into allegations that the new PCSO project was being used as front for jueteng by some unscrupulous operators.

“What they (PCSO) told us is that the project was still at the experimental stage and they are trying to reach the target revenues, which I believe are in the billions of pesos,” Barzaga said.

Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla reportedly complained that suspected gambling lords in his province were hiding behind the Bingo Milyonaryo to conduct their jueteng operations.

Padilla earlier asked the PCSO to suspend Bingo Milyonaryo in his province, saying its income only goes to gambling operators and not to the government.