“It’s not over yet.”
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday, July 26 said the Senate will continue its investigation into all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO)-related crimes and issues.
Hontiveros said the Senate’s investigation will continue despite President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s announcement of a ban on all POGO operations during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, July 22.
The senator pointed out the Senate probe is not merely zeroing in on Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo, but the POGO industry as a whole.
“It’s not over yet. Hindi lang naman si Mayor Guo ang iniimbestigahan dito, kundi ang buong industriya ng POGO na nagdala ng samu’t saring krimen sa bansa (We’re not just investigsting Mayor Guo here, but the whole industry of POGO that brought in various crimes in the country),” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Kahit inanunsyo na ang pag-ban ng POGO, oversight function ng Senado ang matiyak na ang phaseout ay tunay na maipapatupad, na ang mga sangkot sa krimen ay matukoy, ang mga victim-survivors ay mabigyan ng hustisya, at na ang mga manggagawa ay mabigyan ng just transition (Even if a POGO ban was announced, the oversight function of the Senate will make sure that the phaseout of their operations will be executed, the perpetrators of the crimes would be prosecuted, the victim-survivors will achieve justice and the workers will be granted just transition),” the senator said.
Hontiveros also stressed the necessity of ensuring that the government’s regulatory failures are addressed.
“Maraming institusyon ng gubyerno ang mukhang na-korap ng mga POGO at kailangan tugunan ito ng mga polisiyang maaaring isulong namin sa Senado (There are so many government institutions that have been corrupted by these POGOs and we need to resolve this with policies that we can pursue here in the Senate),” she stressed.
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, which Hontiveros heads has set the next hearing on POGO-related issues on Monday, July 29.