PCSO’s Balutan dares Atong Ang to run STL; Ang accepts

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Alexander Balutan on Friday challenged gambling consultant Charlie “Atong” Ang and PCSO board member Sandra Cam to run small-time lottery (STL) operations and produce P6 billion in monthly revenue.

In an interview on Unang Balita, Balutan said he would resign from the PCSO if the two could product the revenue in six months.

"China-challenge ko sila na sila na ang magpaandar ng STL nationwide at magre-resign ako ngayon kung maipo-produce nila 'yun. I am giving them siguro six months to produce that," Balutan said.

"Sila na 'yung bahalang magpalakad kasi maganda sa gobyerno natin 'yan, dahil nga makaka-produce tayo ng malaking pera."

For his part, Ang claimed he could deliver to the government a minimum of P5 billion a month if President Rodrigo Duterte seeks his help to "clean up" the PCSO. He said current monthly revenue declared stands at P1.7 billion.

In a separate interview, Cam said there is a "connivance" between gambling lords and the "hierarchy" of the PCSO. This setup, she said, turns the otherwise legitimate STL into a front for illegal numbers game jueteng.

She also dared Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda to let her husband Bong, allegedly involved in jueteng, to “face" her "squarely.”

Meanwhile, Ang, in an interview on News To Go, said accepts Balutan's challenge on the basis of his knowledge as a gaming consultant, explaining that STL was not needed and gambling lords should be removed.

"Magpasabi lang si Presidente na 'Mr. Ang, tulungan mo ulit ang gobyerno na linisin ang PCSO,’ patutunayan ko sa 'yo, de-deliveran ko ang gobyerno ng P5 billion per month minimum, o P60 billion a year na gross," he said.

"Pag napatunayan ko 'yan, kayong dalawa maski basura buhay niyo, magpapakamatay ako maski maganda pamilya ko, pag hindi ko napatunayan 'yan," he said, referring to Balutan and former PCSO chairman Jorge Corpuz

On Wednesday, Ang appeared at a Senate hearing on the controversies of the PCSO to testify against Balutan and Corpuz, who stepped down due to health reasons.

Ang said at the hearing that Duterte personally asked him to help clean up the PCSO, whose leadership was just recently under fire for a supposedly lavish Christmas Party.

The President himself confirmed he sought Ang's help, saying he asked the "number one gambler in Davao" to help the government. —Nicole-Anne Lagrimas/KBK, GMA News