EO enough to implement POGO ban —SolGen

An executive order is sufficient to implement the ban on all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), according to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra.

“Under the law, all gaming operations fall under the jurisdiction of PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation), which in turn reports directly to the Office of the President, an executive order or other administrative issuance is sufficient to implement the policy,” Guevarra told reporters on Thursday.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the Department of Justice but has yet to receive a response as of posting time. 

Meanwhile, the Solicitor General said that the ban is a matter of government policy.

“It is the president’s determination of what is good for the country after carefully weighing all competing interests,” Guevarra said.

During his third State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is banning all POGOs in the country by the end of the year.

The ban came following consecutive raids against illegal POGO hubs leading to the discovery of equipment used for torture, love scams, and other crimes. 

The Bureau of Immigration has said that foreigners employed in POGOs and internet gambling licensee companies will be given 60 days to leave the country.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR has requested that 12 POGOs be spared from the ban, saying that they are merely customer service agents for gaming companies.

The agency previously said that some 40,000 Filipino employees from POGO firms would be affected by the ban. —VAL, GMA Integrated News