📷 Senator Sherwin Gatchalian | Radyo Pilipinas
A MEMBER of the Senate has filed a bill seeking to stop collecting taxes from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in an apparent bid to outlaw what has been causing all the troubles in the country.
In filing Senate Bill 2689, its proponent, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian particularly hinted at repealing the Republic Act 11590 which amended the tax code – and eventually legitimized the operation of POGO hubs.
“The main goal is ultimately to outlaw and prohibit offshore gaming operations in the country,” Gatchalian said in a statement even as he cited criminal activities and espionage undertaken behind POGO operations.
To prove his point, Gatchalian cited the human trafficking ring inside the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga in 2023, and the police raid at the Xinchuang Network Technology in Las Piñas last July 2023.
During the raid, 2,700 suspected victims of human trafficking were rescued.
He also took note of the prostitution that was discovered when cops swooped down a POGO hub Pasay City in October last year.
Likewise mentioned were the raid in two POGO hubs in Bamban Tarlac for which Mayor Alice Guo has gained prominence.
“These syndicates could be fronting as POGOs but are engaged in criminal activities such as human trafficking and scamming,” he said.
According to Gatchalian, the adverse effects of POGO operations outweigh benefits it has generated even as he cited a Department of Finance-initiated cost-benefit analysis in 2022 which showed a radical decline in tourism-related revenues alluding to the criminal activities found to have been related to POGO operations.
“This means that POGO operations have brought more harm than good, as the economic costs greatly outweigh the benefits derived from such operations.”
“Beyond the financial impact, the rise in human trafficking and online scams linked to POGOs is a moral failing we must address,” he concluded. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
