MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chairman and director Manuel 'Manoling' Morato on Wednesday accused incumbent PCSO officials of waging a smear campaign against their predecessors to cover up their own wrongdoing in their 1st year in office.
Speaking to radio dzMM, Morato refuted all the allegations leveled against the PCSO Board, particularly on the subjects of donations and vehicles to bishops and congressional allies of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
He accused PCSO Chairwoman Margie Juico and Board Member Mabel Mamba of giving away ambulances to local priests instead of utility vehicles to reach their poorest constituents.
"What would priests do with ambulances? Religious groups need utility vehicles to go to the mountains to bring food and medicines and help the poor," he said in an interview with Karen Davila and Vic de Leon Lima.
Morato praised Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez for having the foresight to ask the PCSO for ambulances and financial assistance for his constituents. He denied that Arroyo's allies such as Suarez were favored in the granting of endowments in public hospitals.
"Hindi nila gayahin si Danny Suarez, nagtutulong yan sa mga tao. Hindi naman mga aso yung pinapadala sa Heart center. Hindi naman babayaran kapag hindi kumpleto ang papeles. I guess Suarez had the presence of mind to help his constituents and even then, the PCSO will not pay the bills if the papers are not complete," he said.
He also defended former PCSO PR manager Manuel Garcia who is accused of pocketing millions of pesos in kickbacks from PCSO ad contracts. He said he talked to Garcia who claimed that he gave back the money.
"Palagay na natin tumanggap kung sakali pero ang sabi n Manny Garcia na hindi ko naman appointee nung ako ay chairman binigay daw nya sa kanila. Pag na-summon siya, magsasalita siya. He said he has evidence to show that he gave it back," he said.
"They are not without sin is what I mean," he added.
He said that while he had no powers over the PCSO's PR fund during his stint as director, he would not have tolerated any wrongdoing had he known about it.
Morato blasts Juico
During the interview, Morato also leveled his own accusations on the present PCSO officials particularly on Juico.
He questioned why the present PCSO Board decided to relocate their office from the Quezon Institute to the Philippine International Convention Center despite a live contract with the Philippine Tuberculosis Society.
He also claimed that during Juico's earlier stint as a PCSO Director, she used up P25 million in yearly discretionary funds for public relations.
He also accused Juico's husband, Philip, of trying to claim P800,000 in payables from PCSO after airing PCSO ads in his TV program on Channel 9 two years ago. He said the request was turned down because the airing of the ads was not approved by the Board.
Finally, he accused Juico and then Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman of proposing in 2005 that PCSO give all its charity funds to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
"Hindi yan pu-pwede because DSWD has different mandate. DSWD is supposed to help entire community especially during calamities such as landslides, floods and earthquakes. The PCSO is different and concerns individuals who need money for dialysis, liver transplants , etc. Doon nag-umpisa ang Hyatt 10. That is why they hate me because I know too much. Hindi naman ako papayag sa kalokohan nila," he said.
PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II has accused the previous PCSO board of leaving more than P3 billion in payables due to overspending of operating funds and issuance of guarantee letters.
"Nagpatong-patong yung payables. Nagsisingilan yung mga ospital. Ang sabi namin, 'Teka muna. Willing kami magbayad pero dapat tignan muna namin,'" he said.
Under its charter, the PCSO is mandated to set aside 55% percent of its revenues for the prize fund; 30% for its charity fund; and 15% for operating funds.
