Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday, November 14, welcomed the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency’s (NICA) support to the proposal seeking to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) from the country to combat the proliferation of transnational crimes.

Gatchalian, who has long been advocating to expel POGOs in the country, said he is thankful that NICA shares his bid and other senators on the matter and the view of the country’s economic managers as well as police authorities.

“NICA’s position on POGO operations should strongly prompt the government to move for the complete termination of POGOs’ activities,” Gatchalian said.

“The closure or permanent suspension of POGO and its related illegal activities will help reduce human trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, and other crimes in the country,” he said.

Once banned in the country, NICA, in its position paper read by Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, sponsor of the agency’s budget, believes that the Philippines will no longer be a hub of an industry that’s prohibited in other countries.

Additionally, it will also resolve the issue of authorities being unaware of the number of Chinese nationals illegally entering the country as their entry is facilitated by corrupt personnel.

In tackling NICA’s budget, senators see the strong link of POGOs to human trafficking activities in the country.

Gatchalian, Senate Committee on Ways and Means chair noted that aside from human trafficking, other crimes involving POGOs include prostitution, forcible abduction, homicide, illegal detention, kidnapping-for-ransom, theft, robbery-extortion, serious physical injuries, swindling, grave coercion, and various online frauds and scams.

According to the lawmaker, economic losses from POGO operations has reached a staggering P147.7-billion a year, citing the latest data provided by the Department of Finance (DOF).

The losses is due to the decrease in inbound tourism revenues due to crime and decrease in foreign direct investments, among others.

“Malinaw na ang mga pangunahing ahensya ng gobyerno kabilang ang ating mga economic managers, kapulisan, at intelligence agencies kagaya ng NICA ay pabor na paalisin na ang mga POGO sa bansa dahil sa kinasasangkutan ng mga itong krimen (It’s clear that the primary government agencies including our economic managers, police, and intelligence agencies like NICA are in favor of expelling POGOs from the country due to the crimes linked to them),” he pointed out.

“Hindi na natin dapat hintayin na lalo pang dumami ang mga krimen na dala ng mga POGO sa bansa (Let’s not wait for the crimes brought by POGOs to proliferate in the country),” Gatchalian said.