Baguio debates fate of STL

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BAGUIO CITY — The fate of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) Small Town Lottery here will certainly again divide Baguio as attempts to ram in its operations are continuing.

On June 17, anti-gambling advocates and church leaders will be pitted against STL proponents, supporters and officials pushing for its operation instead of the illegal numbers game jueteng.

The city council Monday opted to conduct a public consultation on the bid of proponent Green 2 Corp. to favor “test runs” in the city, unluckily though, councilors have been deferring their official action.

On April 14, a certain Jaime Mangahas, president of the Green 2 Corp., the same firm that attempted the city council’s favorable response on July 2007, asked for authority for “test runs” of the PCSO STL project.

Mangahas also asked the legislative body, who apparently sat down on several STL proposals in the past because of public pressure against all forms of gambling including legalized ones, to manage and operate the actual test runs in the city.
Councilor Richard Cariño, head of the laws committee where the STL proposal was referred, said, the public debate on June 17 “will give us the opportunity to ask if the sectors opposed to it are receiving any from jueteng.”

Cariño has lamented that he and other members of the city council are being criticized this early even if they have not decided on it yet. These anti-STL groups include the religious sector, the councilor said.

Processing

After the May polls, then newly-elected city Vice-mayor Daniel Fariñas said STL proposals can be entertained once again as long as it would abide by the usual process.

Such efforts to ram through an STL “test run” however turned futile when it was deferred, then inadvertently scratched out of the city council’s agenda during the last session of the old council before the new set of councilors took over on July 2, 2007.

On September 1, 2006, Desita Garcia, manager of the same Green2 Corp. asked then acting City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. to approve a “test run”.

Also on October 13, 2006 another letter by a second proponent named as Alexander Trinidad, president and chairman of D New Ace Builders Corporation requested amendments to a city ordinance on STL operations in the city; an issuance of a resolution condemning jueteng and permanently erasing such via endorsing STL operations in the city.

Not contented, another letter on November 19, also in 2006 by Orville M. Roque, president of JOECALF Amusement Corporation, was received by the city mayor intending to operate STL .

Divided Leadership

Bautista’s firm stand against “gambling” in the city meant he would veto any approval on STL.

Bautista earlier wanted “all games of chance applications pending in the council to be put on hold,” as he made a “gentleman’s agreement” with the old council members.

But with the composition of the new set after the May 2007 polls, with four of those who agreed gagainst STLh with him, the ball rests on the city council composed mostly of lawyers. Vice mayor Farinas, a lawyer, himself admitted that STL is perfectly legal.

Councilor Cariño hinted that he feels four in the council are sure of their support for STL operations “in lieu of the supposed unabated jueteng operations in the city”. “I do not know yet of the others (councilors).”

There is only one civil engineer, one accountant-pastor, one geodetic engineer-pastor, one business woman, a barangay captain and of course the SK federation chairman. There are eight lawyers in them. # Ace Alegre