Bacolod council probes legal status of STL operations

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) here is seeking to clarify the legal status and other issues surrounding Small Town Lottery (STL) operations within the city.

Councilor Dindo Ramos recently passed a resolution constituting the entire SP of Bacolod City as a committee of the whole and inviting the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), City Permits and Licenses Office, City Legal Office, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to discuss the status of STL operations in the city.

Aside from seeking clarity on the legal status, Ramos stressed in the resolution the need to conduct an in-depth discussion on regulatory compliance and enforcement issues of STL operations.

He noted that the City Council recognizes the importance of transparency, accountability, and interagency collaboration to ensure that STL operations, if permitted, are conducted in accordance with the law.

“To achieve this, it is imperative that the entire SP be constituted as a committee of the whole to hear, deliberate, and gather inputs from relevant stakeholders and concerned government agencies,” the resolution stated.

The concerned agencies have been encouraged to attend and participate in a committee hearing set next week.

Last month, Ramos also passed a resolution requesting the PNP through Mayor Greg Gasataya to intensify operations against illegal gambling, particularly the illegal operation of STL in the city.

Ramos emphasized in the resolution that illegal gambling continues to persist in various areas of the city despite existing laws and regulations prohibiting such activities.

The resolution stated that STL is being publicly operated in the city, where bets are being collected with no revenues remitted to the city, despite the absence of a business permit issued to the operator.

The illegal operation of STL and other forms of unsanctioned gambling activities have been observed to proliferate, posing social, moral, and economic risks to the community, it added.

The Local Government Code empowers the city government to maintain peace and order and to support measures ensuring public safety and welfare, the resolution said.

As the primary law enforcement agency, Ramos noted that the PNP is mandated to enforce laws and ordinances and conduct operations against illegal activities, including illegal gambling.

Police Lt. Meller Dionio, spokesperson of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said their operations against illegal gambling are ongoing.

“Being a police officer, it is our mandate to arrest persons engaging in illegal activities,” he added.

He said the BCPO is waiting for the schedule of a committee hearing to shed light on the matter.