Senators hopeful Marcos will declare total ban in SONA
The House of Representatives will conduct a parallel investigation in aid of legislation into the illegal activities of POGOs as the Senate intensifies its manhunt on suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and other individuals linked to the offshore gaming operations.
Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the House committee on public order and safety, said his panel together with the House games and amusements committee will conduct the hearing on Wednesday upon instruction from Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Fernandez said the joint House panel invited the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., National Bureau of
Investigation, Department of Justice, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force, the League of Cities of the Philippines, and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.
He said the joint panel will conduct a “comprehensive” legislative investigation on the issue to find out “criminal elements and persons involved” in the illegal POGO operations in the country.
Meanwhile, senators have expressed hope that President Marcos will declare a total ban on POGOs during his State of the Nation Address on July 22.
“During the President’s SONA, I hope that they will announce the immediate ban on POGOs in the Philippines,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros, who has been leading the Senate probe into the raided POGO hubs across the country.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said it would be a good political move for the President to announce a total ban.
“Maybe he would surprise us. I am sure his approval rating will shoot up if he announces in his SONA that he is now banning completely all POGO activities in the Philippines. That will be a very good political move,” Pimentel said in an interview on dzBB
This developed as joint operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation-Mimaropa and the Philippine Army on Monday raided a suspected POGO hub in a resort in Puerto Galera in Mindoro Oriental.
But Puerto Galera Mayor Rocky Ilagan denied the resort was involved with POGOs.
“If it is a POGO, then I should know. I will not allow the operation of a POGO in that resort,” Ilagan said.
The operatives arrested 40 Chinese nationals, including the resort owner who is Chinese, along with other foreign nationals.
They also confiscated gambling paraphernalia such as baccarat tables and poker tables, among others.
Economic managers earlier recommended a total ban on POGOs, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said.
Recto said the recommendation was contained in a letter sent to President Marcos.
”We did write a letter because we were asked to make a recommendation. It’s up to the President to make the decision,” Recto said.
National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan also expressed support for the total ban despite a potential revenue loss of as much as P20 billion.
“It may be a big number, but the cost and particularly social cost of POGOs are quite high,” Balisacan said.
“We are trying to position our country as a legitimate place for business where we are trying to attract investors to come, tourists to come and so the least that we want is, to have a reputation. The criminals are still here,” he added.
While the executive debates its pros and cons, several local governments have unilaterally banned POGO activities within their borders.
The Batangas City Council was the latest among them when it went ahead and passed a resolution prohibiting all POGOs amid growing security concerns around such operations.
POGO operations were earlier banned in Valenzuela City and the entire province of Bulacan, among other jurisdictions.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline House panel to conduct parallel probe on POGOs as Senate intensifies Guo manhunt
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