As the government explores more avenues to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a seasoned sports official has appealed to President Duterte to look into the revenue share of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
Former PSC Commissioner Monico Puentevella said on Thursday that the sports agency is entitled to five percent of Pagcor’s gross income under the law, half of which he said has remained uncollected by the PSC over the past two decades.
Since the start of the Duterte administration, the PSC’s uncollected share of Pagcor earnings has reached P5 billion, Puentevella estimated, “since the Commission on Audit announced in 2018 that P1.6 billion just for 2017 alone was not turned over by Pagcor.’’
“If you find it now, this will be our God-given donation to your administration coming from all the athletes, coaches and national associations,’’ Puentevella told Mr. Duterte in his letter.
“We don’t have to go around anymore, knocking door-to-door,’’ added the president of the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, citing the efforts of national athletes who went out of their way to seek donation for people and health workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Puentevella, a former Bacolod City mayor and congressman, explained that the PSC’s five-percent gross income share under Republic Act No. 6847 was cut in half during the administration of President Fidel Ramos in the ’90s.
“Mr. President, by law, these funds belong to the athletes,’’ Puentevella said. “But now because of this plague, you have been looking for funds. If you don’t know where to get the funds, here’s one of them.’’
Since 2015, Pagcor’s monthly remittances to the PSC has gone up to at least P80 million, an amount that forms part of the national sports development fund, which is being utilized for the training, allowances and needs of the national athletes from over 50 sports.