Sen. Richard Gordon (Photo by HENZBERG AUSTRIA / Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines —Sen. Richard Gordon on Tuesday warned of a “creeping invasion” with the emergence of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country and the rise of crimes linked to its workers.
In his privilege speech on Tuesday, Gordon noted several crimes linked to Pogos, including suspected money laundering, prostitution, and trafficking, among others.
“I’m chagrined that this is happening to our country. This is totally unacceptable,” a visibly piqued senator said.
“I used to say that we must be a viable country, but today we’re becoming a ‘buyable’ country. We are no longer viable as a country. We let our borders collapse. We let our islands be taken over by some of our neighbors, and we allow them to bring in as much as money as they want,” he added.
Citing estimates from Leechiu Property Consultant, Gordon noted an estimate of 470,000 Pogo workers in the country, which he pointed out was much higher than government estimate at over 100,000.
“It has creeped into our society so much so if you have 400,000 people here and not only in Manila. They are already in other places. Davao, Olongapo, in my own hometown — they’re there. The POGOs are all over. So, you can imagine the presence of 400,000 people,” he said.
“You can take a look in Pampanga they have four [registered Pogos]. In Olongapo they have three. In Calabarzon, they have two. In Central Visayas they four… They have really overwhelmed us. It’s a creeping invasion where they have taken up specific areas,” he added.
Gordon, chair of the blue ribbon committee, is set to investigate the spike of Chinese money brought into the Philippines in recent months which he said could be used in an alleged multimillion-peso money laundering scheme linked to the rise of Pogos.
READ: Gordon: Senate to probe spike in cash brought into PH by Chinese
“When we conduct the public hearing on Thursday, we will all know where we are, the overview and we should be able to research—each of us—to be able to know how we can fix this situation,” he said.
“Not just in aid of legislation but to ensure that the flag of the country still reigns sovereign in our country,” he added.
This amid other ongoing investigations led by two other Senate panels into other issues hounding POGO operations.
One of which involves the alleged multibillion-peso “pastillas” bribery scheme within the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
READ: More BI officials will be sacked over ‘pastillas scheme’ – Duterte
Under the pastillas racket, Chinese citizens, mostly employed as Pogo workers, pay a P10,000 “service fee” – P2,000 of which will allegedly be shared among officials of the BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU), duty Immigration supervisor, and terminal heads.
The remaining P8,000 will then be given to tour operators and syndicates who will transport the Chinese from the airport to Pogo facilities.
“There is need for us to make sure that we check this…we don’t know it’s hurting us…it really affects the moral fiber of our nation. You have prostitution here — our people, our country being used to allow them to have their own prostitution dens,” he said.
READ: Sex on the menu for Pogo workers
“Their own drugs. Everything. It doesn’t matter whether Chinese or Filipino, that is a travesty upon mankind,” he added.
Gordon lamented even with these issues and crimes connected to Pogo operations and workers, there is “no seeming effort to try and locate these people.”
“I’m not being xenophobic. I’m just trying to express some concern on why there is no seeming regulation, no seeming effort to try and locate these people. If they have firearms, that’s dangerous. If they’re bringing in money, are we trying to find out where they put the money?” he said.
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