MANILA, Philippines ? Multimillion-peso anomalies have allegedly hounded the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and the House of Representatives wants an investigation.

Representatives Neri Colmenares and Teodoro Casino of Bayan Muna partylist said media reports have exposed various anomalous fund releases that favored the family of its previous chairman Efraim Genuino and the previous Arroyo administration.

Filing House Resolution No. 98, the lawmakers urged the committee on good government and public accountability to conduct an inquiry on how the agency has been made into a ?milking cow? by the previous administration.

The resolution cited the following media reports on the alleged Pagcor anomalies:

? A report in the Failon Ngayon TV program on June 12 citing Pagcor documents that the agency issued various checks to the Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA) Foundation for various expenses that benefited the organization founded by Genuino. BIDA also allegedly joined the partylist elections and fielded Sherly Genuino-See, Genuino?s daughter, as its first nominee;

? Reports that Pagcor funds were used to pay BIDA Foundation Inc. a total of P28.2 million in check payments ? P26.7 million on Dec. 23, 2008 and P1.5 million on March 17, 2009 ? for production expenses for the film Baler and for food packs, respectively;

? Reports that Pagcor paid BIDA Production Inc, a total of P24.98 million for services rendered for the agency?s Maligayang Barangay, as well as for promotional and video materials for the same project; promotional materials and judging for the Pinakamaligayang Barangay project; and BIDA members? IDs and pins, as well as tarpaulins and collaterals. Payments for BIDA members? pins alone amount to P8.82 million; and,

? Philippine Daily Inquirer report on July 19, 2010 that former chair Genuino approved a P21.119 million check payable to former Pagcor president and chief operating officer Rafael Francisco two days before President Benigno Aquino III took office on June 30 for food purchases in a period of eight days from the American fast-food chain McDonald?s donated to the Philippine National Police (PNP) ?for their activities and operations in line with their thrust to provide security to the population.

?These anomalies may only be the tip of the iceberg since Genuino spent practically nine years as Pagcor chairman and was in fact re-appointed by former President [Gloria] Macapagal-Arroyo on March 9, 2010 the eve of an election ban on appointments, for another year. Genuino only
resigned on June 16 after being criticized for accepting the midnight appointment from Arroyo,? the lawmakers said.