Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid on Wednesday, June 26 vehemently denied any involvement in the operations of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing, the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Porac, Pampanga.
Lapid, appearing at the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality’s probe on the illegal activities of POGO companies, rejected allegations being floated by an unnamed vlogger that he owns the 10-hectare land where the POGO company in Porac is located.
There are at least 42 buildings situated in the POGO hub in Porac. Authorities raided the compound after authorities discovered human trafficking and other illegal activities happening within the hub.
Lapid said he will resign as a senator if it is proven that he is involved in POGO operations.
“I will resign as a senator if it is proven that I am involved in that POGO. I will not allow that my name be tarnished here. I’ve been a vice governor of Pampanga for three years, I have been a senator for three terms…I won’t allow my name to be ruined here,” Lapid said addressing the Senate panel during the hearing.
Lapid also balked at the idea of former House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo being a protector of POGOs in Pampanga.
The senator complained such allegations has put the province of Pampanga in a negative light and has discouraged potential investors.
Addressing Porac Mayor Jaime Pilapil, Lapid told the local chief executive to fix the situation and improve the image of the province again.
“That’s what we are worried about. Investors in Porac are already starting…but these problem on POGO is hounding us. Our reputation to investors have turned negative, mayor,” he said.
“That’s why I urge you mayor, to cleanse Porac of these POGOs,” Lapid appealed.
Also during the hearing, Sen. Grace Poe again appealed to the Marcos government to put a stop to the POGO operations by banning them.
Poe insisted it is time for the government to totally ban POGOs in the country as they could not be regulated due to the existence of their protectors in and out of government.
“Please we have to ban POGOs, let us ban POGO because it’s hard for the government to regulate them because they have protectors,” she said.
“In just more than year, illegal activities of POGOs have become full-blown operations inside ‘self-contained’ compounds,” she pointed out.
“We are inundated with evidence of how twisted and complex the real POGO world is,” added the lawmaker.
Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito also backed Poe’s position saying the Senate has uncovered and discovered, not just the material facts and information to prove the involvement of suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo in the POGO hub in her town in Tarlac, but also compelling and disturbing reasons to call for the government’s policy shift on POGO operations.
“I believe that we already have to hasten the phasing out of the POGO industry. Let’s not wait for a mayor to be elected or any other government official to be a protector of this illegal operations,” Ejercito said.