‘Court order on peryahan games not recalled’  

MANILA, Philippines — An operator of Peryahan ng Bayan games yesterday slammed the alleged misinformation on the legality of PNB operations being made by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Lawyer Bernard Vitriolo, vice president for legal of gaming technology firm Globaltech Mobile Online Corp., said PCSO general manager Royina Garma has been reportedly spreading false information about the operations of PNB.

Vitriolo decried the claim of the PCSO that the Court of Appeals (CA) and the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) had recalled the status quo ante (SQA) order issued in 2019, which allowed Globaltech to operate the PNB games nationwide.

Vitriolo clarified that the Jan. 14, 2019 ruling of the CA affirming the SQA order of the Pasig RTC had not been recalled.

The lawyer said Garma apparently misinterpreted a recall order dated Feb. 18, 2020 and the denial of the motion for reconsideration dated Aug. 24, 2020 issued by the Pasig RTC Branch 161 on its ruling on the scope of the PCSO Deed of Authority (DOA) issued to Globaltech to operate PNB games.

Vitriolo said what was recalled by the court was the writ of execution allowing the nationwide operation of PNB games, instead limiting it to 15 areas only.

The gaming firm has taken legal action before the CA and maintained that the DOA issued by the PCSO allowed them to operate PNB games.

“The CA ruling on Jan. 14, 2019, which stopped the PCSO’s revocation of the DOA for us to operate peryahan games is final and executory,” Vitriolo said.

He said a lower court could not recall a CA ruling.

Globaltech would seek a dialogue with Interior Secretary Eduardo Año and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to clarify the misrepresentations being made by the PCSO, Vitriolo said.