The Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation on Monday resumed accepting medical assistance requests after temporarily stopping the program due to a recent fraud attempt.

James Patrick Bondoc, PAGCOR Vice President for its Corporate Social Responsibility Group, said the agency had to stop accepting applications for medical financial assistance after arresting a couple who submitted fake documents for fictitious medical cases. PAGCOR has said walk-in requests for medical aid should be submitted for endorsement to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

"Meron kaming natuklasan na fraudulent na document at nakakuha kasi. Usually po nade-detect natin 'yan," Bondoc told ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, chairman of the House of Representatives committee on games and amusements.

"Ang ginawa po namin, aside from the usual criminal procedure napalaya na rin naman po 'yung 2 matanda released on recognizance. Kami naman po tiningnan lang namin kung merong analogous circumstance. Mukhang wala naman po pero pending investigation and utos ni chairman Andrea [Domingo​] is to resume operations but to go back to the old practice na kailangan verified po muna ng PCSO ang dokumento."

Bondoc said PAGCOR has also experienced a spike in the number of walk-in requests for medical aid - from 10 a day to 200 a day - after the stoppage of the program.

He added PAGCOR is still finding out if there is a syndicate behind the fraud.