THE GOVERNMENT of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should outlaw Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), a senator said on Wednesday, blaming these for the country’s growing crime problem.
“The detrimental social cost of gambling far outweighs the economic gains the government receives from it, particularly when considering the criminality, corruption and destruction of families that results from it,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva said in a statement.
This comes after Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin ordered the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze the assets of a POGO hub in Tarlac province in northern Philippines.
A total of 868 POGO workers were rescued during a March 13 raid after the company was linked to human trafficking and torture crimes.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission seized about P6 million in cash and passports in 11 vaults found in the POGO hub. Authorities also seized at least 60 cars.
“This should be enough proof that there is really a need to finally cease all POGO operations and reexamine the government’s policy when it comes to gambling, especially online gambling,” Mr. Villanueva said.
He said the Palace move showed that the government is serious about stopping crimes linked to POGOs.
More than 4,000 people have been victimized by crimes related to POGOs such as human trafficking in the first half of last year, the Philippine National Police said in October.
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian earlier filed a resolution seeking to permanently ban POGOs in the country, saying many of these companies are still licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) despite their links to crime.
In August, Pagcor said it would start privatizing its 45 casinos by the third quarter of 2025, which is expected to generate P60-P80 billion in revenue.
Mr. Gatchalian said the move would make up for the state losses from shuttered POGO firms after it was reported that Pagcor had failed to collect P2.2 billion in unpaid dues from them. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
