President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s approval ratings will surely rise and improve if he decides to announce a total ban on the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III pointed this out as he expressed confidence the Chief Executive may just pull off such “a surprise” during the SONA.
“Oo, baka gulatin niya tayo. Sisipa ang popularity ng approval rating ng Presidente, pag i-announce siya sa SONA niya na (Yes, he might just surprise us. The President’s popularity and approval rating will surely shoot up if he announces in his SONA that) he's now banning completely all POGO activities in the Philippines,” Pimentel said in a Radio DZBB interview.
“Napakagandang political move po iyon (That would be a good political move). But of course, I am not the political advisor of the Presidente. Posible nga (but that’s indeed possible),” the senator said.
Pimentel also said that Filipinos would not only be surprised, but would likely rejoice if the President orders the total closure of POGO hubs in the country.
“Pero siyempre, kung ako naman si Presidente, siyempre itago ko na, Hintayin ko na yan sa SONA para isa yan sa mga highlight ng State of the Nation address niya (But of course, if I were the President, of course, I will hide it. I will wait for the SONA so that would be one of the highlights of his SONA),” he said.
“At siyempre lahat ng attention na nandun nakafocus. Magugulat tayong lahat. Hindi lang magugulat, matutuwa pa (Of course, everyone’s attention would be focused on that. We would be surprised. Not only surprised, but also be glad),” he added.
Pimentel said he had long supported the position to impose a total ban on POGO with the belief it is only damaging the country instead of helping the economy.
“Well, matagal na yung posisyon ko dyan na dapat alisin na natin ang POGO. Of course, kung illegal, dapat may crackdown, hindi ba (It’s has been my position that we should get rid of POGOs. Of course, if illegal, there should be a crackdown, right)?” he pointed out.
“Yung legal, huwag na natin gawing legal. I-declare na nga natin na illegal na lahat ng POGO para mahinto na po yung activity na yan (But those legally operating, we should stop even the legal. Let’s just declare all POGOs to be illegal to put a stop to this illegal activities),” he said pointing to the human trafficking and other crimes linked to POGOs.
In the first place, Pimentel said he believes businesses that have to do with gambling would never be good.
“Yan ba ang gusto natin i-attract sa Pilipinas? Sugal. Sugal. Sugal. I mean, kahit tayo siguro mag-decision sa bahay natin, ano ba gusto natin ipapasok sa bahay natin? Magpasugalan tayo sa bahay natin? Ganun eh (What kind of business do we want the Philippines to attract? Gambling? Even if we make decisions for our home, we also think about what we want to get into our homes right? Do we want gambling to enter our homes? That kind of thinking),” he pointed out.
Furthermore, Pimentel said POGOs bring in a different form of gambling and that is one that utilizes online technology.
“Tapos ang tina-target natin, tina-target ng mga POGO na yan, isang kapitbahay natin. So hindi na siya magandang neighborly practice (Then these POGOs target our neighbors. So it’s not a good neighborly practice),” he reiterated.
Alice Guo eludes arrest, accountant detained
Meanwhile, Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo managed to elude being arrested by the Senate, but her alleged accountant, Nancy Gamo, is now in the custody of the Senate, according to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
Citing a report by the Office of the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA), Escudero said Guo had left her residence at Bamban, QJJ Farm, before the team that was to enforce the arrest order arrived.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) accompanied the OSAA team when they went in search of Guo.
Gamo, according to Escudero, was arrested by the Senate team at a garment factory in Marilao, Bulacan.
The Senate team, as well, as the PNP and the SWAT, however, were not allowed entry into the garments factory identified with the Guos in Valenzuela City.
Gamo is one of the eight individuals cited for contempt due to her failure to attend the Senate’s hearing on the raided POGOs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga. Also subpoenaed by the Senate were Guo’s parents and siblings.