Remove, not regulate, POGOs.
This was the position reiterated by House Committee on Human Rights Chair Benny Abante Jr. after law enforcement authorities again unearthed a prostitution den in a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) establishment.
“This was exactly my point in the privilege speech I delivered on the floor of the House last Tuesday: we cannot regulate an industry with unscrupulous players that are quick to take advantage of regulatory gaps and weaknesses,” stressed Abante, an anti-gambling advocate.
“We must remove POGOs because the evidence shows we cannot regulate them,” the veteran legislator added.
“An inherently corrupt industry will inevitably breed corruption.”
“An inherently corrupt industry will inevitably breed corruption. One vice feeds another. How many more of these sex dens must we discover before we take action? Ilan pa ba sa ating mga kababayan ang dapat mabiktima ng POGO before we shut them down once and for all,” the seasoned lawmaker asked.
A”team composed of operatives from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the Southern Police District (SPD) discovered a prostitution den inside a POGO establishment in Parañaque City.
The raid led to the arrest of two Chinese nationals and the rescue of 16 women.
In a privilege speech recently, the Manila solon explained that history and experience have shown regulations for POGOs “are insufficient in preventing legal operations from becoming illegal dens of vice and criminality.”
“Recent episodes remind us that the pursuit of financial gains through supposedly legal means like gambling is a perilous path that our society should not tread––a road to perdition for the Filipino people,” he stressed.
According to Abante, “in various congressional hearings, we have unearthed numerous instances wherein these POGOs have been unable and unwilling to comply with our rules and standards. These incidents are the bases for recommendations to phase out POGO operations in the country––recommendations I fully support because these POGOs have shown that they cannot be trusted to follow the laws in our land.”
“The price we pay for POGOs is much too high, and it is not worth it.”
“The price we pay for POGOs is much too high, and it is not worth it. We have repeatedly been presented with clear evidence that the social costs of POGO operations far outweigh the revenues they generate. Nakita na po natin, POGOs have brought a myriad of problems to our country. It has become a breeding ground for corruption, immorality, and illicit activities: prostitution, drugs, and modern-day slavery,” he pointed out.
While Abante acknowledged the need for government to raise revenues, he argued that government must seek alternative revenue streams that do not rely on so-called “harmless vices” that lead to corrupt and unlawful activities.
“It is our moral duty to seek alternative sources of revenue that do not involve vices that inevitably lead to corrupt and immoral activities. We must redirect our focus toward industries that uplift the lives of our citizens, strengthen morality, and ensure a brighter future for the next generation,” he concluded.
