Press Release
February 17, 2018

AMIDST PCSO SQUABBLES, GORDON SAYS FOCUS ON WHAT PCSO CAN DO

Amid the recent controversy facing the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office over alleged overspending for its annual Christmas Party, Senator Richard J. Gordon decried the dispute among the PCSO management, citing the importance of the PCSO as the agency that provides assistance to the poor. Gordon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, pointed out that the PCSO is mandated to generate funds for national health programs and charities through sweepstakes, races, lotteries and other similar activities.

"Dapat nang tigilan ng mga opisyales sa PCSO ang kanilang awayan. Ang tagal-tagal na nito. Kesa mag-away pagtuunan na lamang nila kung paano higit na matutulungan ang mga naghihikahos nating kababayan. Doon na lang sila magpaligsahan at magpagalingan, matutuwa pa ang mga kababayan nating nangangailangan. We talk about the PCSO having a lavish party but we don't talk about what the PCSO does for the country's poor," he said.

The PCSO controversy arose after newly-appointed board member Sandra Cam accused General Manager Alexander Balutan and PCSO Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz of lavish spending on the Christmas party. She alleged that PCSO spent P10 million for a lavish Christmas party held at a five-star hotel.

For their part, Balutan said the PCSO only spent P6-million on the party, adding that the 1,580 PCSO employees deserved the party because they worked hard to increase the earnings of the agency. This was echoed by Corpuz, who resigned last month citing health reasons. As of April to June 2016, PCSO was able to allocate, under their Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP), a total of P788,985,636.57 for 64,173 individuals nationwide for various medical related assistance. A total of P705,653.24 worth of medicines were also given to beneficiaries nationwide.

For the same quarter of 2016, a total of 6,574 walk-in and referred indigent patients and 4,743 PCSO officials, employees, and their dependents, availed of their free basic medical and dental consultation. They also launched Health Capability Building for Informal Dwellers in Resettlement Areas which benefitted 1,160 relocated residents in Trece Martirez, Cavite during the second quarter of 2016.

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