By Mona Lagbas
Cagayan de Oro City, January 24,2024_”Hexaprime is the exclusive agent operator of Small Town Lottery or STL in Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental as authorized by PCSO”, declared Hexaprime lawyer Delbert John Barsaga today.
Attorney Barsaga said that the Court of Appeals, in a January 23, 2024 decision, ruled that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Corporation or PCSO did not err in issuing a termination order against Diamond Millennial Corporation or DMC, on July 12, 2023. Barsaga quoted a portion of the Court of Appeals decision as “Petitioner failed to show prima facie allegation of grave abuse of discretion on the part of PCSO” in terminating DMC’s authority to operate STL in Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental. He added that Hexaprime was granted by PCSO the authority to operate STL in Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental last October 17, 2023 after DMC’s termination.
Barsaga also disclosed that PCSO required Hexaprime to report any illegal STL operation within its area of operation to the PCSO. He added that the PCSO, in its Implementing Rules and Regulations, stated that there can only be one authorized agent operator of STL in a specified area. He said that the PCSO would then take appropriate enforcement and legal procedures against violators of the Anti-Illegal Gambling Law.
Attorney Barsaga said that DMC’s claim that DMC was issued a status quo ante order by the Supreme Court is moot because of the issuance of the Court of Appeals decision. Hence, Barsaga noted, the Court of Appeal’s decision must be followed.
Comments