Hontiveros urges Senate leadership, Executive Dep't to act on recommended POGO ban

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros called on the Executive Department and the Senate leadership on Wednesday to act quickly on the recommendation to ban the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country, noting that crimes related to the industry have been going on for about four years already.

"Yes, dapat lang namin gawin 'yun (that's what we should do)," Hontiveros said when asked if the Senate should fast-track the approval of the committee report that recommended the immediate expulsion of POGOs from the country.

"I'm just waiting na maaksyunan na namin 'yun in plenary or gaya ng itinanong ninyo, kung kailangan pang magpasa ng batas para lang kontrahin talaga with the force of law 'yung naging polisiya, in effect, ni [former President Rodrigo] Duterte noon na buksan talaga ang bansa natin sa POGOs. We should do that now. Whether through the committee report or through a bill passed into law. Kasi ano pang inaantay natin?" the opposition lawmaker said.

(I'm just waiting for the plenary action on the committee report or like what you suggested, to pass a law that will repeal the policy of former President Rodrigo Duterte back then to open the Philippines to POGOs. We should do it now, whether through the committee report or through a bill passed into law. Because, what are we waiting for?)

Hontiveros also reiterated her call for the Executive Department to ban the industry in the country, noting the POGOs' potential harm to national security.

"Nanawagan ako ulit kay Presidente sa hearing kahapon, kung gusto talaga nilang sugpuin ang krimen, kung gusto talaga nilang i-nip in the bud 'yung banta, sa pambansang seguridad nitong mga POGO na 'to na kuta ng mga krimen, kuta ng mga operators ng suspected na surveillance at tsaka hacking, first big step nila, i-ban na ang POGO, palabasin na ang POGO," she said.

(I reiterated my call to the President during yesterday's hearing. If they really want to suppress crimes and nip in the bud the threats to national security posed by POGOs, the first big step is to ban POGOs and expulse their operations from the country.)

For Hontiveros, the Senate leadership should be asked about its plans to act on the committee report released by the Senate ways and means panel, noting that it was already approved by majority of the committee members.

"Handang-handang suportahan [ng majority ng committee] ang Senate leadership sa pag-approve at pag-adopt ng committee report na iyon," she said.

"As for the Executive, hindi ko rin alam, hindi ko alam [kung] anong inaantay nila (I don't know what are they waiting for)," she remarked.

The senator recalled that since the last Congress, the Senate has investigated and released findings and recommendations with regard to the illegal foreign workers, prostitution, illegal recruitment and detention, bribery on visa upon arrival or the "Pastillas scam," human trafficking, cyber-scamming, tax laws violations, and national security threats related to POGO.

"Sunog na sunog 'yung mga naunang pangako nila [nu'ng] panahon ni Duterte na magpapasok sila ng malaking kapital, kikita ng malaking kita, revenues para sa gobyerno, marami daw ie-empleyo na Pilipino. Anong nangyari? Mas maraming Pilipino ang naging victim-survivors ng operations ng POGO na ito," she said.

(POGO's promises of huge revenues and more employment for Filipinos during the time of President Duterte were not met. What happened? There are more Filipinos who became victim-survivors of POGO operations.)

"Napakayaman na ng findings and recommendations ng marami-raming Senate committees... Sa cost-benefit analysis, halos walang benefit. Panay costs ang listahang iyon," she quipped.

(We have a lot of findings and recommendations due to the numerous hearings of various Senate committees. In the cost-benefit analysis, it was revealed that there are no benefits, only costs to our country.)

Asking the mayor

The lawmaker made the remarks a day after the Senate panel on women, children's, family relations and gender equality launched an investigation into the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac, which she said may be possibly involved in surveillance activities and even the hacking of several government websites.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the Senate panel also grilled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo over information linking her to the operations of the scam hub.

Guo, a first-time mayor, said that she has no involvement in the POGO hub. Questions on Guo's citizenship, past businesses, and political journey were raised during the hearing.

In the same press conference, Hontiveros categorically said that Guo lied several times during the Senate investigation.

"She lied. There were several questions where she lied. 'Yung pinaka-stark and shocking example ay 'yung dineny niya na may connection siya sa Hongsheng [Gaming Technology Inc.] Eh nandun na nga sa mga dokumento ng municipal government na siya ngayon ang pinuno," Hontiveros said.

(The very stark and shocking example was her denial of her connection to Hongsheng when it was indicated in the document from the municipal government that she is an official of the firm.)

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier said his office obtained a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution dated September 2020 containing the council's approval of the application made by Guo, who was then a private citizen, for Hongsheng's license to operate.

Hongsheng was raided in February 2023. The same compound was then used by Zun Yuan Technology Inc., the company that was also raided in Baofu compound last March.

"Honestly, I was very tempted na sabihan si mayor [na] mag-show cause siya kung bakit hindi siya dapat i-cite in contempt," she added.

(Honestly, I was very tempted to tell the mayor to show cause why she should not be cited in contempt.)

She also raised doubts on Guo's identity, noting that the mayor supposedly has no official records proving that is a Filipino.

"Totoo kaya na Chinese talaga si Mayor Alice Guo (Could it be true that Mayor Alice Guo is a Chinese national?)" she asked.

Political newcomer?

According to Hontiveros, Guo's name only floated during the 2022 elections and the latter has no hospital record of birth and no school records in the Philippines.

The senator noted that Guo only has a certificate of live birth, wherein it was declared that her father is a Filipino. However, Hontiveros said business records show that Guo's father declared that he is a Chinese national.

Guo has her registration of live birth but this was filed only when she was already 17 years old.

"Si Mayor Alice ba, at ang mga tulad nyang may mga mahiwagang nakaraan, ay mga asset na pinapasok ng China sa ating gobyerno para magkaroon sila ng mabigat na impluwensya sa politika sa Pilipinas? Marami nang ibang kasong ganyan sa ibang bansa, kaya hindi na ito bago, at dapat nating imbestigahan," Hontiveros said.

(Is Mayor Alice, and her fellows who have mysterious backgrounds, are assets of China who entered the country to influence the politics in the Philippines? There are a lot of cases like that in other countries. It's no longer new and this should be investigated.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News