MANILA, Philippines 鈥� An official of the Philippine Online Lottery Agents Association Inc. (POLAAI) voiced out grievances against the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), alleging that they have been robbed of the right to have a dignified job.
In a Senate hearing on Thursday, Clarisse Imperial shed light on the difficulties they have encountered following doubts on the legitimacy of lotto draws.
鈥淣inakawan niyo po kami ng karapatan na maghanap buhay nang marangal at kinuha niyo sa mga mananaya namin ang karapatan na umasa balang araw [na] magiging milyonaryo sila dahil sa eskandalong ito na kayo-kayo na lang daw ang nanalo,鈥� said Imperial.
(You robbed us of the right to live a dignified job, and you took away from our gamblers the right to hope that one day they will become millionaires. All because of this scandal PCSO employees are the only ones who are winning the game.)
Imperial said ticket sales plummeted after PCSO confirmed that the photo it released to announce the lone winner of the P43.8 million 6/42 jackpot on December 28, 2023, was 鈥渆dited.鈥�
鈥淏inato po ang sasakyan ko, [tapos] 鈥榶ung teller ko, minumura ng mga tao. Bakit? Dahil dinadaya na raw,鈥� she said.
(My car was vandalized, and my teller was verbally abused. Why? Because they believe they were cheated.)
Imperial said that until now she wants to believe PCSO鈥檚 integrity, but with how things unfolded, she admitted that she can鈥檛 help but doubt the agency.
鈥淵ung 400 na 鈥榶un, masasabi ko po sa inyo na totoo po talaga 鈥榶ung mga nanalo na 鈥榶un. Hindi naman po 鈥榶un dinaya. Possible talaga na may ganon na manalo. 鈥榊ung nanalo ngayon na sunud-sunod, possible pa rin po. Kaso nga lang, the way things [transpired], nakakaduda na. Sobrang nakakaduda na po,鈥� said Imperial.
(Those 400, I can tell you that those winners are real. That鈥檚 not cheating. Those who won consecutively, it鈥檚 still possible. However, with the way things [transpire], it鈥檚 doubtful. It鈥檚 very doubtful.)
Senator Raffy Tulfo, who presided over the hearing, asked what made them doubt PCSO. Imperial gave an example: PCSO鈥檚 hastily approved digital e-betting platform.
鈥淗indi pa sila ready sa system eh, bakit 鈥榶ung sistema na kahit maraming problema ay maayos naman po naming nagagamit,鈥� said Imperial.
(They are not ready for the system yet; why is there a system that even though there are many problems, we can use it well.)
READ: PCSO starts one-year test run of E-lotto
Two thousand workers of POLAAI have been displaced after PCSO launched its e-betting site.
PCSO earlier received the ire of Tulfo after the agency began its digital betting processes without approval from the Palace.
PCSO, however, explained that they did not seek approval because the e-lotto they implemented is still in the trial phase.
READ: Tulfo lashes out PCSO for starting e-lotto sans Palace nod听