MANILA, Philippines — Despite calls from some lawmakers for the government to take a decisive stance on whether or not to ban Philippine offshore gaming operations, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made no mention of this issue during his second State of the Nation Address on Monday.
Hours before Marcos delivered his Sona, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Senate ways and means panel chair Sherwin Gatchalian pressed the chief of state to explain the continued existence of Pogos despite the alarming rise of crimes allegedly linked to this industry.
But in his speech that lasted for over an hour, Marcos did not once raise the issue of Pogos.
“It’s unfortunate na hindi nabanggit ng ating Pangulo iyong Pogos, specifically, but he mentioned peace and order. And importante iyon because in any policy of attracting investors, peace and order should be a very critical aspect,” Gatchalian told INQUIRER.net in an interview.
(It’s unfortunate that the President did not talk about Pogos, specifically, but he mentioned peace and order. And that’s important because in any policy of attracting investors, peace and order should be a very critical aspect.)
Gatchalian, who had led a Senate probe into the socioeconomic cost of Pogos, said this will not deter him from talking to Marcos about Pogos, “because Pogos [are] becoming one of the root causes of problems in peace and order.”
The senator pointed out that it will be a difficult task to attract foreign investors to the Philippines if its image is tainted by news about thousands of human trafficking victims and fugitives working in Pogos.
“Importante na makita ng Pangulo at ma-appreciate itong problema sa Pogo (It’s important for the President to see and appreciate the Pogo problem),” he stressed.
Pimentel was similarly “disappointed” by Marcos’ failure to mention the government’s policy on Pogos.
He was hoping that the President would finally pull the plug on Pogos which, he said, was the “prevailing sentiment” among senators.
“But still, since this is simply an executive action, (Marcos) can change his mind any time. And I hope the Senate majority, since they have access to his ear, will advise the President,” Pimentel added.
Is Pogo ban within reach?
“It’s game over for the Pogo industry,” Gatchalian had said when he elevated to the Senate plenary his chairman’s report on the Pogo probe.
“The Filipino people stand to lose more than they will gain from allowing Pogos to continue operating in the Philippines. In light of this, we recommend the permanent banning of offshore gaming operations in the Philippines.”
But Gatchalian’s report has not yet earned enough signatures from his committee members.
This did not stop Gatchalian in his firm call to permanently ban Pogos. He had even submitted his report to the Malacañang, so the executive branch can make its decision on whether to shut the door on Pogos.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno also backs the proposal to discontinue Pogo activities, citing the contentious industry’s “social cost” and “reputational risk.”
READ: Diokno: Let’s discontinue with Pogo because of social cost
Even China had urged the Philippine government to punish Pogos, casinos and other forms of gambling entities in the country that are illegally recruiting Chinese nationals.
Marcos, however, has yet to cement his administration’s stance on Pogos. He said the decision to outlaw them will depend on the purpose in doing so, “because the problems come from the illegal ones, not the legal ones.”
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