Bill banning POGOs has the support of 20 senators
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said that members of the upper legislative body have unqualified support for a proposed measure banning all operations of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in the country.
“I am delighted to find out that all members of the Committee on Ways and Means signed Committee Report 342, signifying their support for the enactment of the measure,” said Gatchalian, the main author of the measure and chair of the committee.
The committee report essentially recommended the approval of Senate Bill 2868, which will ban all POGOs in the country and repeals Republic Act 11590, the only law that legitimized POGO operations in the Philippines.
The senator is confident that the Senate will be able to ratify the measure within the year, with the strong support of his colleagues.
Gatchalian believes that the measure would aid in the President’s request for all Pogos to cease operations by the end of the year.
“Legislating the ban on POGOs would hopefully bring to an end all the various criminalities spawned by the industry,” he said.
Aside from Gatchalian, senators who signed the committee report and affirmed their support for the bill include Senators JV Ejercito, Mark Villar, Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Ronald Dela Rosa, Bong Go, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Risa Hontiveros, Bong Revilla and Cynthia Villar.
Ex-officio members of the committee, namely President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Floor Leader Francis Tolentino, and Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, also signed the report.
For the past several years, Gatchalian has been advocating for a permanent ban on all Pogo operations in the country, citing criminal activities that have mushroomed from the industry, including human trafficking, kidnapping, torture, and various online scams.
He argued that Pogo operations have done more harm than good because the economic costs of fighting Pogo-related crime outweigh the benefits of such operations.
Marcos’ executive order
Sen. JV Ejercito warned local government units on Sunday that they could face charges if they fail to implement President Marcos’ Executive Order No. 47 imposing a complete ban on all Pogos in the country.
“I hope they heed and follow the President’s directive. The President has spoken. There is already an EO. Do not allow, do not turn a blind eye (to) illegal Pogos in your areas of jurisdiction,” he said in a radio interview.
“It’s impossible that they do not know the existence of illegal Pogos in their turfs … they can be charged for harboring or allowing illegal activities in their jurisdiction. The Department of Justice will look into the possible cases that can be filed against those who violate the order,” he added.
In issuing the EO on Friday, Marcos said that it was the state’s “paramount duty to safeguard national security, maintain public order, uphold the rule of law, protect the safety of its citizens and ensure the integrity of the social fabric of the nation.”
Last week, Philippine National Police Chief Rommel Marbil ordered the relief of the heads of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) pending an investigation of allegations that their men tried to extort money from foreigners suspected of operating a scam hub in Manila.
NCRPO chief Police Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia and PNP-ACG chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga were administratively relieved for a period of 10 days starting on Nov. 7.
