POGO ban bill now in Senate plenary

The bill seeking to institutionalize the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) has reached the Senate plenary.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday sponsored Senate Bill 2868 or the proposed "Anti-POGO Act of 2024" containing committee report 342 crafted by the Senate ways and means committee.

According to Gatchalian, the bill seeks to "eliminate once and for all the operations" of POGOs in the country and is aligned with the executive order of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

By passing the bill, the senator said it will be institutionalized which means that the prohibition "extends beyond this current administration."

"The Anti-POGO Act of 2024 lays out firm provisions to end the destructive grip of offshore gaming within our borders, ensuring that come January 1, 2025, no person or entity can operate or even offer offshore gaming within Philippine territory," Gatchalian said.

According to the lawmaker, SB 2868 prohibits and penalize the establishment, operation, or conduct of offshore gaming in the Philippines; any acceptance of betting or gambling linked to these operations; acting as a gaming content provider or accredited service provider for POGOs; creation and operation of a POGO hub or POGO site in the Philippines; possession of any gaming equipment or gaming paraphernalia for offshore gaming; and any act of aiding, protecting, or abetting the conduct of any act or activities prohibited under the proposed measure.

The bill imposes a blanket revocation of all POGO-related licenses by December 31,2024.

It likewise cancels all Alien Employment Permits issued to individuals involved in POGO operations.

The bill also proposed that all POGOs, gaming content providers, service providers, and local gaming agents will still be liable for all taxes, duties, regulatory fees, and all other charges due and payable to the government.

Violations of any provisions of the proposed measure shall constitute unlawful activity under Republic Act No. 9160 or “Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001”, according to Gatchalian.

Recruitment of any Filipino or foreigner for POGO-related purposes will be considered as a violation of Section 4 of RA 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 to "put a decisive stop to the exploitation that POGOs have bred."

If a government employee or official is found guilty of violating the proposed measure, Gatchalian said they will not only face the penalties but will also be dismissed and perpetually disqualified from government services and their retirement benefits shall also be forfeited.

Further, SB 2868 directs the Department of Labor and Employment to work closely with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Commission on Higher Education, and other relevant agencies to provide support for the transition of affected Filipino workers.

As part of institutionalizing the ban, the Senate bill will likewise repeal RA 11590 or the law taxing POGOs.

"With each provision, we are laying down a framework that not only bans offshore gaming operations but also builds safeguards for our people. Sa pamamagitan ng Anti-POGO Act, binubura natin ang kadilimang dulot ng POGO at ibinabalik ang dangal ng ating bayan," Gatchalian said.

"Let us remember that the victims are not just numbers in crime reports or faceless statistics. They are individuals with names, faces, and families. Each one has a story, each one deserves justice. It is a travesty to stand by and do nothing, and it is incumbent upon this august body to take decisive action to end the cycle of crimes and injustice that POGOs have brought upon our shores," he added.

Senator Joel Villanueva, one of the principal sponsors of the bill, supported the progress of the measure in the Senate, stressing the necessity of a law on banning pogos as this needs to "go beyond the present administration."

"This Act will be instrumental in eradicating all traces of POGOs in our country, including any means for them to return and resume their operations," he said.

"There should be no debate that the economic, social, legal, and ethical consequences of POGOs far outweigh the benefits. Again, we would like to put forward our strongest and sincerest convictions about discontinuing POGO operations in our country," he added.

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who led the investigation into the costs of POGOs in the country, also stressed the need to enact the bill into law to give teeth to the president's order to ban the industry.

"I hope this Bill is clear enough to put an end to all iterations of POGOs, IGLs, or such entities by any other name," Hontiveros said.

She also informed the body of her amendments that will provide stiffer penalties to government officials who aid and abet the continued operations of these POGOs.
—RF, GMA Integrated News