Insisting that he resigned from his post, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Alexander Balutan explained on social media yesterday his departure from the State charity agency.
In a Facebook post, Balutan said he initially briefed all PCSO employees when he assumed office in 2016 that he will resign from office if somebody from Congress asks him to do something he cannot stomach.
“I did not ask for this position, President Duterte retired me early from the Marines to help him run his administration,” he added.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, Balutan drew controversy over the PCSO’s lavish Christmas party in 2017, costing P6 million.
He insisted that he did his job well and the rest was history. “In silence, I did and I excelled. I did not ask anything from the President in return,” he added.
“Career for me is just temporary but character is (for a) lifetime, even beyond grave,” Balutan said in his FB post.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo the other day announced that Duterte has fired Balutan as PCSO GM for corruption. “The Palace confirms that President Duterte has terminated the services of PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan on his present post due to serious allegations of corruption,” Panelo said.
He did not mention the particular offense Balutan had supposedly committed, which prompted Duterte to remove him from his post.
Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said yesterday Malacanang should file appropriate charges against Balutan for his supposed involvement in corruption.
“Since Malacañang has already cited and announced the reason for his sacking, it is incumbent upon them to file the necessary criminal charges for violation of the country’s anti-graft laws,” Lacson said.
Lacson said he is convinced that there was basis in Duterte’s decision to fire Balutan as he cited the information gathered by the Senate Committee on Games and Amusements.
The panel conducted in January last year an inquiry on the possible corruption at the PCSO through its Small Town Lottery operations where it was learned that the government has been losing at least P4 billion a month to gambling lords, local government officials, and law enforcers who use the STL as a front for “jueteng,” an illegal numbers
game. (PNA, Jel Santos, and Vanne Terrazola)