SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian wants to know if the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has sufficient authority to regulate the operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country amid the still unabated crimes in the industry.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 679, Gatchalian said the Senate should review Pagcor’s polices in relation to the POGO industry.
“The increase in POGO-related crimes necessitates a close review of the country’s POGO policies and assess whether the economic benefits still outweigh the social costs related to the incidents involving POGO companies and their accredited service providers,” Gatchalian said.
He said there is also a need to determine the capability of law enforcement agencies to stop POGO-related crimes such as kidnapping and human trafficking.
Gatchalian said there is a “dire need” to take immediate action against crimes related to the industry since failure to do so would not only greatly harm the people, but also constitute neglect of duty towards international treaties and conventions that the country has signed or entered into.
Gatchalian was referring to the raid conducted on June 26 on Xinchuang Network Technology, Inc. in Las Piñas City which led to the rescue of 2,724 alleged victims of human trafficking, of whom 1,524 are Filipinos.
He noted that Xinchuang was already involved in a case of serious illegal detention case in Tambo, Paranaque City in December 2021.
He cited another police raid that was also conducted at a POGO hub in Clark Sun Valley in Pampanga in early May that resulted in the rescue of 1,090 human trafficking victims, and an entrapment operation last June 27 that led to the arrest of three Chinese men, some of whom were former POGO employees, for their involvement in torture, kidnap-for-ransom, and illegal possession of firearms.
Gatchalian said that based on Pagcor’s Offshore Gaming Regulatory Manual dated July 3, 2018, one of the qualifications of POGOs and service providers “is to be of good repute, considering character, honesty, and integrity” and yet the state gaming corporation “has failed to act on the illegal activities of its accredited service provider.”
He noted that POGO-related crimes have been prevalent since 2019.
The senator said the Senate inquiry will help lawmakers craft measures to end POGO-related crimes.
