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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Bato to PAGCOR: Exert supremacy over POGOs

Bato to PAGCOR: Exert supremacy over POGOs

Published Jan 23, 2023 02:25 pm

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday, January 23 urged Philippine Amusement and gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) officials to revoke the licenses of erring Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) involved in crimes saying the government should not be afraid to exert supremacy over them.

“Don’t be afraid of them. Tell them that they are here in our country and that they should respect us,” Dela Rosa said during the Senate Committee on Ways and Means’ public hearing.

Dela Rosa said the government should assert its supremacy over POGOs if the same assertion cannot be made over the West Philippine Sea, which China has been continuously contesting.

“It’s about time that we have to assert our supremacy over them,” Dela Rosa told PAGCOR officials.

“If we can’t match their supremacy over the West Philippine Sea, we are supreme here in our POGO operations. They are here in our territory right? We should then assert our supremacy over them,” he stressed.

The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief also asked PAGCOR to kick out Brickhartz Technology Inc. and MOA Cloudzone Corp—two POGO firms who were allegedly involved in the kidnapping incident of a POGO worker which was earlier disclosed by Sen. Grace Poe.

“Cast out those two firms. You don’t have business to be here in our country if that is your attitude. You have a very bad attitude,” Dela Rosa said.

Senate ways and means chairperson, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also questioned why the PAGCOR is still allowing POGO operators involved in crimes to continue operating in the country.

During the hearing, Jessa Mariz Fernandez, from the Offshore Gaming Licensing Department of PAGCOR, they had already imposed penalties and demerits to erring POGO operators. One of the companies was slapped with a $10,000 (about P500,000) penalty.

But this did not sit well with Gatchalian: “With that amount, do you think they’ll be scared of penalties?” he asked PAGCOR officials.

“I’m really concerned because the privilege speech (of Sen. Grace Poe) was given December 14, and you are telling me that PAGCOR has not acted on it... so do you think that the P500,000 (penalty) will deter them from doing this again?” Gatchalian pointed out.

Related Tags

POGOs Pagcor Sherwin Gatchalian bato dela rosa senate ways and means committee
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