MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Alexander Balutan claimed yesterday that gambling consultant Atong Ang offered P200 million a month to him in September 2016 so he could take full control of Small Town Lottery (STL) operations nationwide.

“It’s Mr. Atong Ang, your honor,” Balutan told Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, who asked him to identify the person who allegedly offered the bribe, as the House of Representatives committee on games and amusement conducted its investigation on STL operations.

Facing the panel headed by Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, Balutan recalled that Ang was accompanied at the time by Sandra Cam, now a PCSO board member. Balutan said he has “CCTV footage and pictures” to prove his story.

Balutan, a retired Marine major general, said he rejected Ang’s bribe, which was P200 million monthly. “If only one person will monopolise the STL, we won’t have any percentage to speak of,” he said, recalling Ang and Cam claimed they were sent by President Duterte.

The PCSO official said that he personally reported to Duterte and asked how would he solve the Ang problem.

“He told me: don’t bend your rules. Just follow your rules. Just follow your rules, even if it involves my own son,” he quoted the President as saying.

Cam, who was present in the hearing, categorically denied Balutan’s claims.

“He’s lying through his teeth. Atong Ang and President Duterte are friends. The P200 million Atong was talking about was the total amount of STL revenues on a daily basis,” she said, relating it was Duterte’s close aide Bong Go who told her to meet the PCSO officials.

Cam accompanied Ang to visit Balutan and now resigned PCSO chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz.

Rep. Rodel Batocabe of party-list group Ako Bicol tried to pacify the two feuding PCSO officials, as he pointed out that no less than Duterte himself – during the President’s visit to the victims of Mayon volcano’s eruption in Albay – wanted the issue settled.