PCSO chairman quits post ‘for health reasons’

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chairman Jose Jorge Elizalde Corpuz has resigned, Malacañang said on Friday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Corpuz resigned due to health reasons. He gave no indication as regards Corpuz's health issues.

Roque was quick to clarify that Corpuz was not the official President Rodrigo Duterte said he would fire.

Duterte on Thursday said he would fire another chairman of a government entity, along with another set of police officials including three of star rank.

Roque at his briefing in Malacañang said that Duterte might reveal the identity of the next chairman who's facing termination on Friday afternoon.

Corpuz resigned after PCSO board member Sandra Cam bared what she called the lavish Christmas party thrown by the agency at a posh Mandaluyong hotel in December.

Cam said the PCSO spent almost P10 million for the party held at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel.

PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan said the bill only ran up to P6 million despite having a P14-million budget for the party.

Aside from the Christmas party controversy,  Cam also alleged that most of the PCSO's small town lottery operators were using the STL as a front for their own respective illegal jueteng operations. —NB, GMA News