MANILA, Philippines – House Speaker Martin Romualdez has given marching orders to House leaders and top secretariat officials to introduce a measure that would enable President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country.
“This, however, will not stop the ongoing House investigation on the criminal and other illegal activities linked to POGO,” Romualdez said.
“Hopefully, the House can learn from the hearings – on their modus operandi and the brains behind these activities – as part of inputs for the proposed measure that we will be crafting,” he added.
This all comes after Marcos, in his third State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) “wind down and ‘cease’ the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.”
Romualdez said he has already met with House leaders and top secretariat officials, who told him there are already measures filed at the House of Representatives targeting to halt POGO operations in the country.
“I am requesting all the committee chairs concerned to give this a priority,” Romualdez said.
“For the House Committee on Public Order and Security to submit their comprehensive report and recommendations to the Committee on Games and Amusement as soon as possible,” he added, saying that he expects the games and amusement panel to come up with a committee report soon for plenary deliberation.
Romualdez wants that the enabling law should cover “all bases” of the total ban on POGOs.
“Gusto naming maging legacy ito ng Pangulong Marcos Jr. (We want this to be the legacy of President Marcos Jr.),” said Romualdez, who initially did not favor a total ban on POGOs.
As early as September 2022, Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. filed a bill seeking to ban and declare POGOs illegal in the country. Abante, who also chairs the human rights panel, noted that POGOs are a “social menace that dissipates the energy and resources of the people.”
Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez filed in August 2023 a resolution urging Pagcor to ban POGOs. Rodriguez cited the proliferation of POGO-related crimes such as kidnappings, reports of illegal detainment, human trafficking and prostitution.
In House Resolution 1197, Rodriguez said that “the country should not sacrifice the welfare and safety of its citizens for revenue” and that “these POGOs do not contribute anything else to the Philippines and they only operate here because they are banned in their own countries.”
Both are pending before the House games and amusements committee.
In June 2024, Makabayan bloc lawmakers also filed a bill seeking to ban and criminalize POGOs, ordering government agencies to stop issuing work permits to anyone engaged in POGOs. The bill also seeks to categorize employment of POGOs as a human trafficking offense. – Rappler.com