Posted on: September 20, 2023, 06:47h.
Last updated on: September 20, 2023, 06:47h.
The Philippine Senate is taking action against Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) following an investigation into associated crimes. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means, after months of debate, has expressed its desire for all POGOs to leave the country. Senators are now supporting this recommendation.
A press release indicates that the committee report addressing the pros and cons of POGOs has garnered sufficient support from senators. The report reiterates the committee’s plea to the executive department to suspend all POGO operations immediately.
Leading the charge is Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. After months of efforts to eliminate POGOs and enact changes in the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR), Gatchalian may finally achieve his goal.
POGOs Facing Elimination
According to the press release, 10 senators on the committee have backed this initiative, establishing majority support with a total of 18 members.
The decision to eliminate POGOs stems from a series of criminal activities within the sector. Gatchalian has highlighted that, based on Philippine National Police data, there have been over 4,300 victims of crimes related to gaming operators over the past six years, and these crimes were committed by the same 903 people.
The crimes include verified cases of mass human trafficking, kidnapping, homicide, enslavement, kidnapping-for-ransom, extortion, and more. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who has taken note of these scandals, acknowledged that the POGO segment may no longer be beneficial.
Marcos, like PAGCOR officials, emphasized that only illegal operators were causing issues, not licensed POGOs. However, many illegal companies were previously licensed firms.
If the ban is implemented, the Department of Labor and Employment will play a key role in facilitating the transition by finding alternative jobs for affected individuals.
The Senate proposal also urges the Bureau of Immigration to cancel and revoke work visas issued to foreign workers in the POGO industry, leading to their immediate deportation.
Resistance to the Decision
Not everyone is in favor of a swift and forced exit of POGOs. Senator Juan Edgardo Angara has criticized the Senate committee’s report, stating that the immediate closure of all POGOs within three months is illogical.
Angara argues that the suggested timeframe is insufficient for legitimate POGOs to conclude their operations, considering the significant investments they have made in the country. He also points out that POGOs are in the Philippines because the country invited them, and forcing them out would be unfair.
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Victor JV Ejercito, who previously supported an extended reduction plan for licensed POGOs, has seemingly changed his stance. As a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Ejercito is one of the 10 senators who have endorsed the new plan.