Recto seeks probe of POGOs
Credit to Author: JAVIER J. ISMAEL| Date: Sat, 24 Aug 2019 17:28:57 +0000
SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has urged the Senate to investigate Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to determine if foreign workers employed by gaming hubs abide by the country’s rules and regulations on security, immigration, and tax collection, among others.
By introducing Senate Resolution 85, Recto seeks to determine if there are policy interventions needed to provide the legal framework for POGOs to see if they are complying with the relevant laws and if they pose a threat to national security.
Recto noted that in 2018, there were reports on the influx of Chinese in Metro Manila employed in POGOs, while the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. had said licensed POGOs contribute to 11 percent of Pagcor’s income.
There are an estimated 450,000 Chinese working in POGOs, and this number is seen to rise to about 2 million in the next five years, the senator said.
The Department of Defense warned that gaming hubs could be a threat to the country’s security because some of their operations are located near military camps.
POGO operations were thrust to the limelight recently because of the arrest of Chinese workers linked to kidnapping.