POGO in the Philippines is on the verge of being phased out
The Philippine Senate has launched an investigation into crimes involving Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and after months of debate, the Senate is ready to act.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee has said it wants all POGOs to leave the country, and the Senate may now agree.
According to a press release, a committee report on the benefits and wrongdoings brought about by POGO received full support from senators.
The report reiterates the committee’s call for the Executive Board to respond to the Senate recommendation by immediately suspending the operations of all POGOs.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, is leading this project.
He spent months trying to get rid of POGO and force changes at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and may have finally achieved his goal.
End of line for POGO
According to the press release, 10 senators are members of the committee that signed the initiative.
Since it only has 18 members, that means a majority of the committee approved the plan.
The POGO removal campaign follows a series of criminal activities in this segment.
Gatchalian earlier said that based on Philippine National Police data, there have been more than 4,300 victims of crimes related to gambling operators in the past six years.
Behind these crimes are also 903 people.
The crimes include verified cases of mass human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, slavery, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and more.
The scandals have caught the attention of Chairman Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. , who admitted that the POGO segment may no longer be valuable.
Marcos, similar to what PAGCOR officials said, emphasized that only illegal operators are causing the problem and not licensed POGOs.In many cases, illegal companies are previously licensed companies.
If the moratorium is respected, the Ministry of Labor and Employment will play a key role in the transition.
Need to find other jobs for those who lost their jobs due to the closure.
The Senate proposal also calls for the Bureau of Immigration to cancel and revoke the initial work visa issued to any foreign national working in the POGO industry.
This would then result in the immediate deportation of these people.
The decision met resistance
Not everyone is in favor of a quick and forced exit from POGO.
Sen.Juan Edgardo Angara earlier said the Senate committee’s report on the immediate closure of all POGOs was illogical.
Angara argued that the proposed three-month timeframe is insufficient to allow legitimate POGOs to complete their operations, especially given the significant investments they have made in the country.
He added that the executives are in the Philippines because the country invited them and forcing them to leave would be unfair.
Senate Majority Leader Joseph Victor JV Ejercito previously expressed support for the expansion plan to cut approved POGOs.
He envisions a process that could take two to three years to facilitate a smooth transition for companies and their employees.
Ejercito appears to have changed his mind.
Also a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, his name was among the 10 who approved the new plan.
The Philippine Ways and Means Commission is calling for a three-month shutdown of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), while also calling for payment of unpaid taxes and deportation of foreign POGO workers .
A 120-page report submitted Tuesday noted that “even without POGO, the Philippine economy will continue to thrive.
The committee received about ten signatures, ensuring a majority, with the report championed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, a critic of POGO.
The impact (of POGOs) on our economy will not be great if they leave.
We see that they contribute less than 1% (of our GDP),” the senator said, according to the Inquirer.
Despite the push for closures, the new report is less harsh than a March article calling for a complete and immediate ban on POGOs.
Other senators prefer the (gradual) deletion, which will become the subject of our debates once achieved in plenary,” Gatchalian, quoted by the publication, said.
Gatchalian has long advocated for POGO’s closure, saying the social benefits cannot outweigh the crime involved in the practice.
The senator specifically stated that this affects the country’s reputation and its “investment climate”.
The report also argues for the separation of the functions of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) as operator and regulator – something the corporation’s chairman and CEO have already done.
actively support.
But the report also encouraged an investigation into the possible criminal liability of regulator officials – targeting issues such as POGO’s tax payments and the choice of third-party POGO auditors.
To be solved the issues
In separate reports, a Justice Ministry official said recent POGO raids had found “many signs that human trafficking is taking place.
The official also said that “there was also abuse” of POGO employees who did not meet quotas and that hundreds of people were rescued from “a variety of different programs” related to activities in many years.
Deputy Minister of Justice Nicholas Felix Ty noted that the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (IACAT) has worked with social media companies such as Facebook to prevent traffickers from searching for victims online, while Note that companies must report these findings.
Suspicious transactions reported by these companies can serve as a focal point for an initial investigation,” the official said, according to the national news agency (PNA).
If you see red flags like being hired seems too good to be true, think again.
Another solution is if you become aware of a possible victim of human trafficking, report them to IACAT or other law enforcement agencies,” he noted.
PAGCOR: regulator
Senators also welcomed PAGCOR’s decision to strip itself of its executive role, with Senator Grace Poe noting that PAGCOR cannot “wear two hats at once,” noting that this “ gives the agency a conflicting role, raising doubts about its ability to regulate
effectively. gaming industry.
Senator Poe said that PAGCOR’s sole focus on regulation would allow it to “eliminate unscrupulous practices” and “generate better revenue.”
Meanwhile, Senator Gatchalian hopes PAGCOR will crack down further on POGO, saying “we expect PAGCOR to be stricter in regulating this industry”.
Gatchalian once again filed a request for the immediate expulsion of POGOs from the Philippines, while the commission’s report called for a swift termination of POGOs.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
