Pimentel on Pogo phaseout: Buck stops with Marcos

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel. (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippine — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday challenged administration senators led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to call on President Marcos to order the immediate stoppage of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) if they truly believe that their continued existence was detrimental to the country.

In a radio interview, Pimentel lamented that while lawmakers have been calling for the shutdown of Pogos following a series of investigations, the decision remains lodged with the executive branch.

“What is needed now to stop Pogo is executive action, and as politicians, we [in the Senate] can also advise the President that there might be a price to pay if we don’t stop this,” he said.

Pimentel lamented that despite the series of Senate investigations, the recent raids on Pogo hubs have exposed the supposed unabated Pogo-related criminal activities.

He said he would call on his 22 colleagues in the administration bloc, who have expressed their position against the continued presence of Pogos, to convince the President to act by ordering the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to stop all Pogo activities.

“I will try to talk to the 22 senators in the majority who are all aligned with the administration, as they should also exert some influence on the executive branch especially if most of them are convinced that Pogo has not given our country any good,” he said.

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“Our assumption is that they are always in touch with the President, so they can readily relay our concerns to him. They can start by citing to our committee report as an official document,” he said.

He was referring to a draft committee report by the Senate ways and means committee, which recommended the phaseout of Pogos in the country, and found that the criminal activities and “reputational risks” that the industry has brought to the country supposedly outweigh the benefits.

Pimentel lamented how the offshore gaming industry has been exploited as a cover by criminal syndicates to perpetrate their activities, such as scamming, prostitution, kidnapping and human trafficking.