Poe urges ‘decisive actions’ on POGO; Hontiveros calls on Malacañang to back Senate proposal for ban

Senator Grace Poe on Monday urged the Executive Department to make “decisive actions” on the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) amid calls to completely ban it in the country.

The lawmaker issued the statement amid the recent arrest of four suspects in the kidnapping of a Filipino-Chinese businessman and days after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian released a report calling for a permanent ban on POGO.

While Poe lauded the arrest of the suspect, she emphasized that authorities must stop kidnapping in its tracks and that ransoms should not be paid to the perpetrators.

“Bolder steps are needed to suppress kidnap-for-ransom groups which have grown more brazen, and reportedly aided by rogue or AWOL military or police,” Poe said in a statement.

“We await decisive actions on the operation of POGOs which we repeatedly said has ushered in criminality, including kidnappings,” she added.

In December last year, Poe delivered a privilege speech revealing the kidnapping and human trafficking of a woman which she said was allegedly sold to a POGO company operating in Cavite.

The senator also filed a resolution asking the Senate to evaluate the social costs and economic gains of POGO operations.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros called on Malacañang to support a proposal in the Senate to totally ban POGOs in the country.

Hontiveros pointed out that several Senate committee have already found out that online gambling only causes crimes in the country and it will not be surprising if the recent kidnapping of the Filipino-Chinese businessman is POGO-related.

“Should this incident be proven to be POGO-related, it will only strengthen our longstanding call to kick POGOs out of the country. I also urge Malacañang to support the Senate’s proposal to ban POGOs now,” she said.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said it is a possibility that the suspects in the case of the Filipino-Chinese businessman are “connected to the gangs involved in the POGO industry.”

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee, conducted a series of inquiries on the effects of POGOs in the economy, released a report last week, recommending a total ban on the industry.

A parallel inquiry was also conducted by Senate public order and dangerous drugs chairman Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to look into POGO-related crimes. —VAL, GMA Integrated News