Anti-gambling advocate and Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante Jr. reiterated the need to ban Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) citing the testimony of law enforcement officials who, at the House Committee on Games and Amusement, cited a “pattern” of illegal activities in licensed POGOs that show they cannot be regulated.
“Mismo ang mga opisyal ng NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) at PNP (Philippine National Police) nagsasabi may pattern of criminality dito sa POGO operations na ito, at di na uubra ang regulation,” said Abante, author of House Bill No. (HB) 5082 or the Anti-POGO Act of 2020.
“We should give weight to the statements and evidence presented by our law enforcement agencies because they know firsthand if it is indeed feasible to regulate these POGOs,” the veteran lawmaker stressed.
“The authorities say where POGOs are, criminality follows.”
“Citing their very own experience, the authorities say where POGOs are, criminality follows. Bakit pa ba natin hahayaan ang mga ito mambiktima ng ating mga kababayan?” the seasoned lawmaker added.
“Kung hindi natin kayang i-regulate itong operations ng mga POGO ay mas maganda na wala na.”
At the hearing, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group Police Major General Sidney Hernia paraphrased PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr., who at a Senate hearing said, “kung hindi natin kayang i-regulate itong operations ng mga POGO ay mas maganda na wala na.”
“As director of the Cybercrime Group, what I can say is that in our operations we have seen a pattern… itong mga POGO na na-raid… are all covered with licenses from PAGCOR. They are legal POGO entities,” Hernia pointed out.
“At nakita natin ang pattern, meron mga illegal activities na ginawa itong mga POGO… kaya nga na raid sila,” he added.
According to the NBI, these illegal activities range from prostitution to even murder, which is why the agency supports HB 5082.
Speaking to the Committee, a representative of the NBI International Operations Division said that “the position of the NBI is that we support the house bill for the reason that as an investigative agency, we have found out that these POGO operators use their license to commit crimes such as money laundering, human trafficking, kidnapping… murder and also scams.”
Abante said the allowing POGOs to legally operate in the country “provides criminal elements with a cover of legitimacy that allows them to mask their illicit activities.”
“Enough is enough! We should kick these POGOs out! They are making a mockery of our laws and victimizing our countrymen and have no place in the Philippines,” he concluded.
