Villanueva files bill to void Pogo tax law

FILE PHOTO: Sen. Joel Villanueva. Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Another measure seeking to repeal the law taxing Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) has been filed in the Senate.

Sen. Joel Villanueva called for the permanent cancellation of Pogo licenses issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation in his Senate Bill No. 2752, which was filed days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the ban of all Pogos in the country.

“Bilang pagsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos, kailangan na rin po nating siguraduhin na wala nang bakas ng Pogo sa Pilipinas,” Villanueva said in a statement on Tuesday.

(In compliance with President Marcos’ directive, we must ensure that no Pogo in the Philippines can be traced.)

READ: Marcos bans Pogo, cites ‘disorder’ it caused PH

Under Villanueva’s Senate Bill No. 2752, Pogos are given 30 days from the effectivity of the proposed law to cease their operations.

“Failure or refusal of the firms to close operations shall subject the responsible officers to imprisonment of 12 to 20 years or a fine of P100 million or both, and will subject the foreign offenders to deportation after service of sentence,” the bill states.

It also mandates the Bureau of Internal Revenue to continue collecting unpaid taxes from Pogos even after the repeal of  Republic Act 11590 or the Act Taxing Pogo signed in 2021.

READ: Pagcor: Pogo ban covers legal gaming hubs or IGLs

According to Villanueva, the Pogo tax law amended the National Internal Revenue Code to improve the collection of taxes from Pogos and impose additional taxes aside from the franchise tax on their operations.

“The evidence of crimes and social ills from Pogo operations immensely overwhelm the benefits the Filipinos get from the taxes they pay,” Villanueva pointed out.

A similar measure was filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairperson of the committee on ways and means, last May.

While he acknowledged that the Pogo industry has “undoubtedly boosted the Philippines’ economy,” he also stressed it led the Philippines to grapple with a surge in Pogo-related crimes.