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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Dominguez asks Congress to make POGOs illegal

Dominguez asks Congress to make POGOs illegal

Published Mar 7, 2020 12:00 am
By CHINO S. LEYCO Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said that the Congress should pass a law to stop the legitimate operations of offshore gaming operations in the country. Dominguez said that the industry of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) remains a legitimate business despite its alleged links to illicit activities such as money laundering. “We are not the ones who made things legal or illegal, it’s the legislature,” Dominguez told reporters when asked if he is favor of closing down POGO that some lawmakers claimed is being used a money-laundering conduit. Dominguez said there is no law prohibiting anybody whether related or unrelated to POGO sector to bring huge amounts of cash into the country as long as it property declared to authorities. The finance chief further explained that government authorities have “no teeth” under the present anti-money laundering law to stop anybody, whether Filipinos or foreigners, from bringing in cash in bulk through the international airports. “Why do they do it here? Because they can. Why can they? Because it’s not illegal. The laws that were passed by the legislature allow it,” Dominguez said. “So, if you want to make it illegal, please pass a law. That’s all it is.” “We are sworn to implement all the laws that are in the country. But we cannot implement things that are not in the law, or else we will be accused of overstretching,” he added.
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