House panel okays bill banning POGOs

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THE House Committee on Games and Amusement yesterday approved a consolidated version of a bill seeking to permanently ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country to reinforce President Marcos Jr.’s earlier directive stopping their operations to protect the public and national security.

On the motion of Cavite Rep. Roy Loyola, the panel chaired by Cavite Rep. Antonio Ferrer approved House Bill No. 10987 in consolidation with House Bill Nos. 5082, 10525, 10636, and 10725, all seeking to prohibit offshore gaming in the country. 

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has said that the shutdown of the offshore gaming industry will impact some 30,567 POGO workers who are set to lose their jobs because of the ban.

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The President in his last State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA), announced his decision to ban POGOs because of the criminal activities tied to it, such as human trafficking and even murder.

While an executive order has been issued to that effect, it did not stop lawmakers from filing bills seeking to institutionalize the ban to ensure that POGOs will not return under future administrations.

Last week, the President said his issuance of the executive order was sufficient to ban POGO operations since their gaming licenses are issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

HB No. 10987 or the proposed “Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act,” seeks to prohibit all forms of offshore gaming in the country and impose penalties for violations.

The bill was filed as the House quad committee was investigating the links of POGOs to illegal drug trade, land grabbing by Chinese nationals and extrajudicial killings tied to the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.

The authors of the bill were Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Dan Fernandez of Sta. Rosa City, Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila, and Joseph Stephen Paduano (PL, Abang Lingkod).

Joining them were Reps. Romeo Acop of Antipolo City, Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, Gerville Luistro of Batangas, Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (PL, 1-Rider), Paolo Ortega V of La Union, Jefferson Khonghun of Zambales, and Jonathan Keith Flores of Bukidnon.

During the previous quad committee hearings, lawmakers were told that POGO money was also used to fund the reward system for cops who killed drug suspects under the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Also yesterday, the House Committee on Public Order and Safety chaired by Fernandez, started looking into the cases of policemen who were dismissed from service due to the drug war.

During the hearing, former Police Officers 1 Marco Almario of the Zambales Provincial Police Office and Sonny Reyes of the Quezon City Police District Station 11 recounted their experiences, claiming that their fellow police officers planted illegal drugs and guns on them, which resulted in the criminal charges.

The hearing was the offshoot of PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil’s statement said that Duterte’s commitment to protect the affected PNP personnel were not kept, noting that 312 policemen were killed, and 974 others were injured in the line of duty during the drug war.

Marbil has also disclosed that 214 policemen are facing criminal charges in relation to the drug war, while administrative charges were filed against policemen during the six-year Duterte presidency.

Of the cops who were subjected to administrative investigations, 195 have been dismissed and 398 others, 20 of whom are detained, are still facing dismissal proceedings.

Duterte told the quad committee last week that he would set aside a P1 million from his personal funds to help the police officers and would ask for additional funds from his friends.

Fernandez and his co-chairs in the joint panel have criticized the former president for allegedly reneging on his vow to protect policemen who will face danger and legal cases for implementing his drug war.

BATAAN POGO

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said due process must be followed in the deportation of 42 foreigners who were arrested during a recent raid on an illegal offshore gaming operation in Bagac, Bataan.

Remulla made the statement when sought for comment on the memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin directing the DOJ to facilitate the summary deportation of the apprehended foreign nationals.

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Bersamin chairs the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, which led the October 31 raid on the said facility in Bagac.

“We have to follow due process. Siyempre our desire is to deport but we have to follow due process. We have to comply with legal procedures,” Remulla told reporters in a chance interview.

Asked what he meant by due process, Remulla replied “what are the charges?”

The PAOCC operation against Central One Bataan PH Inc., an alleged POGO operator masquerading as a business process outsourcing firm, led to the detention of 358 Filipinos and foreigners on suspicion of involvement in illegal activities. – With Ashzel Hachero

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