Need no conditions on small town lottery operations, say local agents

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .

Immediate and no condition should be imposed on the re-opening of the small town lottery (STL) to compensate the big losses and unemployment that they suffer when suspension order of its operation was imposed.

Thus said Misamis Oriental-Cagayan de Oro Lotto Agents Association Inc. president Astrid Jose Bana after President Rodrigo Duterte has lifted the suspension on STL operations with conditions laid out for agencies seeking continuous operations

Bana said that lifting suspension of STL operation must not be with condition considering that they suffer much during the suspension days.

“Naay mga kondisyunes nga gilatad sa pag-balik nga kinahanglan i-comply sa mga lotto agents corporation sama Diamond Millennium Corporation nga ilang i-comply ayha sila maka-balik,” he said.

STL operation franchise in Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro is owned by DMC in which most of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) lotto betting stations served as their agents.

“Gi-require sila nga mag-butang og trust funds and then we are surely nga mo-reflect kini sa mga local agents. They are going to imposed Guaranteed Minimum Monthly Retail Receipts (GMMRR),” He added.

Duterte lifted the suspension of operations of STL authorized agent corporations that are compliant with the conditions of their STL agency agreement and has been remitting its guaranteed minimum retail receipts.

The franchise holders were told that one of the conditions is for Authorized Agent Corporations (AAC) to deposit a cash bond “equivalent to three months of the PCSO’s share in the guaranteed minimum monthly [retail] receipts (GMMRR) on top of their existing cash bonds.

Bana said lotto betting stations served as agents through commission basis but some of the corporation charged GMMRR to their respective agents.

“Kami nga agents nagbayad og P5,600 nga trust funds og nabalaka kami nga mo-reflect kini kanamo like other places,” he said.

In Garma’s announcement, another condition mentioned would be the forfeiture of these cash bonds, if the AACs do not remit their share to government on time.

Another condition would be the forfeiture of these cash bonds if the AACs do not remit their share to the government on time.

Upon failure to timely and fully remit their GMMRR during the duration of their operations, the AACs cash bonds equivalent to three months […] shall be automatically forfeited in the favor of the PCSO, without prejudice to the other remedies that may be exercised by the government.

Third condition, each AAC shall execute a written undertaking that it shall comply with its obligations under the STL-agency agreement, and will not institute any claims, monetary or otherwise against the government, and/ or apply a temporary restraining order from any court to prevent the government from exercising its rights and prerogatives.