Speaker Martin Romualdez stated on Monday that individuals involved in crimes through Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will be held accountable.
“If POGOs only stayed within the bounds of the law… but they branched out to scam farms, love scams, human trafficking, prostitution, and pornography,” Romualdez remarked following an inspection of POGO sites by House leaders in Porac, Pampanga, Bamban, Tarlac, and a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, where approximately P3 billion worth of shabu was discovered last September.
Joining the Speaker in the inspection were Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, and chairpersons of various House committees: Dan Fernandez (Public Order and Safety), Robert Ace Barbers (Dangerous Drugs), Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano (Public Accounts), Antonio Ferrer (Games and Amusements), and Romeo Acop (Transportation).
Also present were Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo lawmaker Janette Garin, and Surigao del Sur legislator Johnny Ty Pimentel.
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairperson and CEO Alejandro Tengco noted that about 31,000 direct POGO employees and over 9,000 workers in special business process outsourcing are expected to be displaced following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive to ban POGOs within the next six months, announced during his third State of the Nation Address last month.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile emphasized that the POGO ban should not affect the operations of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and its offshore gaming licensees.
“[The area managed by CEZA] is crucial for the country’s safety and national security. When we make legislative decisions… I might not be here tomorrow, but you must consider the welfare of your children and grandchildren, how to provide them with livelihoods, and protect them from foreign threats. Every neighboring country is a potential enemy. No exceptions. So, I implore those considering harming CEZA, please stop,” said Enrile, who turned 100 last February.