Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez (left) President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook, MANILA BULLETIN)

After two months worth of marathon hearings by the House quad-committee (quad-comm), Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez has come up with the conclusion that President Marcos made the right call in ordering the total stoppage of all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).

"President Marcos was absolutely correct in his call to shut down POGOs," Suarez, a deputy speaker in the House of Representatives, said in statement Sunday afternoon, Oct. 6.

"Nakita naman natin sa ating mga [quad-comm] hearings na hindi lamang ito tungkol sa sugal, linked din ito sa iligal na droga, at EJKs. Hindi ito simpleng problema: this is organized crime, and we must put an end to it,” noted Suarez.

(We've seen in the quad-comm hearings that these aren't just about gambling, this is also linked illegal drugs and extrajudicial killings. This is not a simple problem: this is organized crime, and we must put an end to it.)

It was last July 22 when President Marcos announced in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives the stoppage order on POGOs. He cited the social cost of maintaining POGOs, which boomed during the previous Duterte administration.

Just a few weeks after, the House quad-comm was formed through plenary action. Led by overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the special four-way panel began its series of hearings, but there was no telling how deep the POGO rabbit hole went.

Needless to say, it turned out to be quite a deep hole.

During itt last hearing last Sept. 27, the quad-comm bared its findings about a deeply entrenched criminal syndicate, allegedly led by former president Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential adviser Michael Yang and his associate Allan Lim.

This syndicate had allegedly been embedded in a web of criminal activities—ranging from drug trafficking and money laundering to running illegal POGOs--all with the collusion of corrupt government officials.

"Hindi lang POGO ang problema dito (POGO isn't the sole problem here). The evidence presented during the Quad Comm hearings shows that drug syndicates are using these platforms as a front for their illegal trade.

"Nakakatakot na hindi lang sugal ang pinag-uusapan natin dito, kundi ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan," Suarez said.

(That this involves not only gambling but the very lives of our countrymen is frightening.)

READ THIS:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/28/quad-comm-uncovers-transnational-ring

The Quezon lawmaker also highlighted the alarming rise in EJKs associated with the illegal POGO industry.

"We cannot ignore the growing violence surrounding POGO activities. People are being killed, and these deaths are directly linked to the criminal syndicates operating behind the scenes. Kailangan natin itong sugpuin nang mabilis (We must end this quickly)," Suarez urged.

He further noted that while the government has already taken steps to close down POGO operations, the fight against these illegal activities should not end there.

"POGOs are just one part of a larger problem. We need to dismantle the entire network of syndicates using these platforms as a cover for their illicit operations. I fully support President Marcos in his commitment to cleaning up these industries," Suarez said.