POGOs should continue due to income earned? That’s a ‘stupid’ remark — Drilon

Sen. Franklin Drilon. PRIB Photo

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Franklin Drilon expressed his disappointment towards the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) following its supposed remark that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) should be allowed to continue to operate because of the income the country earns from the industry.

During Thursday’s hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee on the alleged money laundering, crimes, and other nefarious activities associated with Pogos, Drilon called the remark as a “short range statement.”

“I am disappointed at the statement today of PAGCOR, saying that we are in favor of POGO continuing because of the income earned. That is a short range statement,” Drilon said.

“The social problems that Pogo has brought to our country is not worth it. Let me tell you that to your face. For P8 billion from fees that you get, you are saying that they should be here?” he added.

Drilon said that the fees generated by Pagcor are less than one-third of one percent of the country’s economy.

“Yet, all these social problems really point to the policy of stopping POGOs, because it is not worth what we see of adverse effects on society,” the senator said.

Drilon referenced a video shown by Senator Richard Gordon wherein residents of a community in Paranaque City are expressing their complaints over the influx of Pogo workers in their community.

One of the residents in the said video claimed that the “dramatic increase” of the population in their community due to Pogo workers have become “really taxing” to their resources and facilities.

With this, Drilon said that Pagcor’s statement is a “stupid statement.”

“That statement, I must say, is such as stupid statement. Basta pera pumasok, lahat na, all these things we can tolerate,” Drilon said.

“It is common knowledge that what we generate from Pagcor is nothing compared to the social problems that occur because of this,” he added.

JE