Pagcor pressed to shut down Pogos

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) should immediately order all Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) to stop operating after the regulatory agency rescinded its P6-billion service contract with a third-party auditor. Gatchalian said Republic Act No. 11590 specifically mandated Pagcor to have an independent auditor to examine the earnings generated by the Chinese-run online gambling establishments. He noted that Pagcor recently terminated its contract with Global ComRCI for allegedly committing illegal acts to secure a lucrative 10-year government contract in 2017. “The law is very specific that there should be a third-party auditor to monitor the revenues of Pogos,” Gatchalian said. Asked if Pagcor should immediately order Pogos to stop their operations, Gatchalian said: “If you apply the law strictly, yes. Because the requirement of the law for a third-party auditor is very specific.” “So there’s a violation of the law, if you ask me. Pogos should not be operating because there’s a violation of the law,” he insisted.

—Marlon Ramos