SENATOR Raffy Tulfo has expressed dismay over the reported failure of Small Town Lottery (STL) operators to provide “kabos” (chief collector) with proper benefits as mandated by the law.

During the Committee on Games and Amusement Organizational Meeting & Public Hearing, Senator Tulfo, Vice Chairperson Tulfo who presided over the meeting on Wednesday, lamented that kabos are not getting government-mandated work benefits, including SSS, PhilHealth, and PAG-IBIG.

“I talked to several kabos from different provinces, at wala daw po silang natatanggap na benepisyo. Masakit po sa kalooban ko, bilang pro-manggagawa, na ipinagkakait po ng STL operators, who are making billions of pesos every month, ang benepisyo na para sana sa kanila,” he said.

During the hearing, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Chair Junie Cua failed to provide proof of remittances showing that STL operators contributed to SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-ibig on behalf of the kabos employed under them.

Aside from the issue of benefits, Tulfo also bewailed the alleged unjust bidding process of STL operators, which essentially allows losing bidders to join another round of bidding despite an initial loss. This scheme, according to Tulfo, effectively gives losing bidders the right to match the original proponent chosen and does not guarantee that the most advantageous contract is entered into in STL Franchise Operators.

Tulfo said the gambling revenues could have been spent on social services that would benefit the poor and other Filipinos needing assistance.

He manifested plans to legislate amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law removing STL and other gambling activities from being subject to Unsolicited Proposals which makes this current scheme possible.

Tulfo stressed that the bidding should be closed once a winning bidder has already been declared, saying, “dapat, ‘pag nanalo na, nanalo na. ‘Pag natalo na, natalo na. Ganon po talaga ang essence of bidding. Kapag natalo ka na, better luck next time.”

The senator from Isabela likewise flagged several problems on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), including the series of crimes linked to it and the anomalous contract with the firm tasked to audit it, among others.

Tulfo maintained that PCSO and PAGCOR should take care of their revenues to ensure that the government and the Filipino people are the ones benefitting from it and not the gambling lords alone.

“You guys are in the business of legalizing gambling to generate revenues for the state. And in doing so, you are causing the proliferation of a bad habit. Gambling is a vice. And vice is a bad habit. And if it becomes excessive, it turns into an addiction,” he said.

“At ‘pag naging adik na po ang isang sugarol, nandiyan na po yung napapabayaan na niya yung kanyang sarili, yung kanyang pamilya, yung kanyang trabaho. Minsan, he gets involved in criminal activities para matustusan ang kanyang pagsusugal.

“There are times na nadedepress siya, hanggang sa magpakamatay. Siyempre, pag naapektuhan siya, apektado din ang kanyang pamilya. Now, why am I saying this? To remind PCSO and PAGCOR na alagaan niyo po ‘yung pera na pumapasok po sa ahensya niyo because these are considered blood money,” he added.

As part of corporate social responsibility, Tulfo said PCSO and PAGCOR should allot some of their revenues to building crisis centers and rehabilitation centers to help people with gambling addiction.