Aguirre: Duterte wants higher proceeds from STL operations

President Rodrigo Duterte wants to get higher proceeds from small lottery operations(STL) after the government found that only 10-15 percent of their revenues were being remitted to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the previous administration.

In an interview on "Unang Balita" on Monday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the government only received around P4 billion from STL, a numbers game aimed at ending jueteng, in 2015.

"Sa ngayon meron tayong 18 operators, may buwis na po iyan. Ang nire-remit lang nila ay 10 to 15 percent of supposed collection na dapat ay 100 percent. Noong nakaraang taon mga P4 billion lang nakolekta natin dyan. Noong panahon ng jueteng walang nakokolekta kahit isang kusing," he said.

Aguirre said Duterte is pushing to get the government's rightful share in revenues so he can use them to fund healthcare services for the poor.

"Gusto ni Pangulong Duterte na diyan niya kunin 'yung mga ipopondo niya sa health services ng PCSO," said Aguirre, head of the task force investigating STL anomalies, which also includes Executive Secretary Salvado Medialdea and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.

The PCSO earlier promised to expand the number of STL operators to bring in more competition and for the government to rake in higher proceeds.

The state's charity arm also revised its guidelines by requiring new STL operators to post cash bonds and remit a fixed amount each day.

Thirty percent of the STL operation's net sales will also go to the charity fund with the PCSO, local government units and police listed as among the beneficiaries.

The PCSO expects the revenue collection to increase to P11.5 billion in 2017 when the STL operations have been expanded. —Virgil Lopez/KBK, GMA News