PCSO FUNDS SHOULD REMAIN HEALTHY

The Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) important mandate is to generate funds for the government’s delivery of basic health services especially to indigent Filipinos.

But what if the PCSO fund itself is not healthy? Disturbing reports show that PCSO funds are dwindling and it has become limited.  Assistance previously offered to indigent patients, most of whom are ordinary wage earners, have become inadequate.  PCSO funds according to the COA report of 2014 now only stands at Php 19.3 B, and from circulating news reports PCSO checks are not honored in hospitals because of its failure to pay off commitments. 

Part of the PSCO funds is generated from lotto games and operation of Small Town Lottery (STL). A congressional inquiry conducted recently however reveals that, as reported by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), roughly Php 50B have not been remitted to the PCSO by the existing STL operators.  Many indigent patients could have benefited from it, but according to reports only Php 4.7B was collected from STL operations.

Moreover, anomalies were seen by COA involving some members of the PCSO Board such as the unauthorized salaries and allowances in 2011 and the failure of PCSO to remit to the government half of its revenue in the amount of Php 1.9B.  This is a clear violation of the GOCC Law (RA 7656). 

Fellow citizens: What is happening to PCSO? Why are people, particularly the Board of Directors, remised in their duties to safeguard PCSO and its funds? As an agency under the Office of the President (OP), is the President aware of what is happening in the PCSO? Should the OP conducts its own investigation on the problems and anomalies affecting PCSO?

We, in Partido Manggagawa, calls for a thorough investigation of the reported problems and anomalies in the PCSO.  Let us join hands and voice our collective demand: those who are involved shall be held liable and should be removed from the PCSO!    

PONDO NG PCSO AY DAPAT MALUSOG

Ang Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) ang takbuhan ng mahihirap para sa tulong medikal.  Ito naman kasi ang pangunahing mandato ng PCSO – ang magbigay ng dagdag na pondo sa gobyerno para sa paghahatid ng serbisyong pangkalusugan.

Ngunit paano kung ang pondo mismo ng PCSO ay hindi malusog?  Nakakabahala ang mga ulat na namimiligro na ang pondo ng PCSO kaya limitado ang naibibigay na tulong nito ngayon sa mga indigent na pasyente na karamihan ay ordinaryong manggagawa.  Sa report ng COA nitong 2014, ang total asset ng PCSO ngayon ay nasa P19.3 bilyon lamang.  Napabalita pang baon ito sa utang sa mga ospital.

Gayong dapat ay kumikita ito ng mas malaki mula sa lotto games at operasyon ng STL. Pero sa naganap na Congressional Inquiry kamakailan lamang, nabunyag na humigit kumulang sa P50 bilyon ang hindi nairiremit ng tama ng mga STL operators.  Ayon ito sa report ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).  Napakarami sanang mahihirap na pasyente ang nakinabang dito kung ito ay nakolekta ng tama at hindi kakarampot na P4.7 bilyon lamang.

Bukod dito ay may iba pa raw anomalyang nakita ang COA na kinasasangkutan ng PCSO Board, tulad ng unauthorized salaries and allowances noong 2011 at ang hindi pagremit sa gubyerno ng kalahati ng kita ng PCSO na umaabot sa P1.9 bilyon na malinaw na paglabag sa batas ng GOCCs (RA7656).

Mga kababayan: Ano itong nangyayari sa PCSO? Bakit ang mga taong dapat mangalaga at magpalago ng kanyang pondo, sa pangunguna ng kanyang Board of Directors, ay hindi tapat sa kanilang trabaho?  Hindi ba’t bilang ahensya na direktang nasa ilalim ng OP, nararapat lang na ituwid ito ng Pangulo?

Manawagan tayo na ituloy ang imbestigasyon.  At sa ayaw tumuwid at tumino, nararapat lang na magbitiw o alisin na sa kanilang pwesto.