Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday directed the House leadership and top Secretariat officials to come up with and ensure the swift approval of a proposed measure that would give flesh to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to impose a total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) in the country.
He also gave instructions to continue with the ongoing congressional investigation on the operation of criminal syndicates responsible for illegal activities linked to POGO in order to unmask their masterminds.
“Immediately after the SONA of President Marcos Jr., I met with House leaders and top Secretariat officials last night in my office. I asked them to come up with a proposed legislative measure that will put to a halt all POGO operations in the country effective December 2024 as ordered by the President,” Romualdez said in a news release.
“This, however, will not stop ongoing House investigation on the criminal and other illegal activities linked to POGO. Hopefully, the House can learn from the hearings on their modus operandi and the brains behind these activities as part of inputs for the proposed measure that we will be crafting,” he added.
Romualdez was informed by Secretariat officials that there are several House bills and resolutions now pending before the House Committee on Games and Amusement concerning the operations of POGO.
These include House Bill (HB) 5082 filed by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and HB 10525 filed by Makabayan bloc Reps. France Castro, Arlene Brosas, and Raoul Danniel Manuel.
Also pending at the committee level are House Resolution (HR) 503 filed by Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Nograles, HR 1197 filed by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, HR 1524 also filed by the Makabayan bloc, and the privilege speech of OFW Partylist Rep. Marissa Magsino.
Romualdez said these measures should be harmonized and should result in the filing of a substitute bill, which is acceptable to all stakeholders who participated in the committee hearings.
“I am requesting all the Committee chairs concerned to give this a priority. For the House Committee on Public Order and Security to submit their comprehensive report and recommendations to the Committee on Games and Amusement as soon as possible. And for the House Committee on Games and Amusement to come up with a committee report for immediate plenary deliberation,” he said.
“I want all bases in the total POGO ban covered in the proposed measure. We have to ensure that the POGO operators will not just resort to guerrilla operators or go undercover. The law must be crafted with iron-clad provisions to prevent a resurrection of these criminal and illegal activities,” he added.
The House leader said a law needs to be enacted to ensure that all anti-POGO measures are institutionalized not only during the administration of President Marcos Jr. but also beyond his term.
“Gusto naming maging legacy ito ng Pangulong Marcos Jr. Sisiguruhin natin na hindi na makakakilos ang mga sindikatong kriminal sa pamamagitan ng POGO at mapapanagot natin sa batas ang mga mastermind at lider ng mga sindikatong ito (We want this to be a legacy of President Marcos. We will ensure that criminal syndicates cannot anymore conduct their activities through POGOs, and make their masterminds and leaders answer to the law),” Romualdez said.
