Senate Deputy Minority Floor Leader Risa Hontiveros has reservations about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s executive order (EO) prohibiting Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and related internet-based gaming activities.
“While I laud the aims of the executive order and am also thankful for the reintegration program for displaced workers, there are still things in the EO that are unclear,” Hontiveros said.
“First, the ban on POGO excludes games conducted in PAGCOR-operated casinos, licensed casinos, or integrated resorts with junket agreements. This raises questions about whether offshore online games can be run in casinos like City of Dreams, Fontana, or resorts with on-site casinos,” she added.
The senator added it is unclear if the ban covers areas such as the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO).
“What this only underscores is that we need a clear law to move forward with a meaningful, clear, unequivocal, and comprehensive ban,” Hontiveros said.
“The Anti-POGO Act of 2024 has been filed in the Senate and I will make sure during the periods of interpellation and amendments that the gaps and holes will be filled,” she added.
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