Simple law enforcement to solve POGO woes – lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — Banning Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) is unlikely to happen any time soon because doing so requires legislation, House committee on ways and means chair Joey Salceda said yesterday.

He noted that all concerns raised about POGOs are “issues of law enforcement” and that “solution to law enforcement issues is, frankly, to enforce the law.”

“Enough safeguards exist in our laws to punish supposed crimes committed against POGOs, and enough mechanisms exist to shut down any erring business,” he said.

Salceda said banning an entire business on the basis of issues that law enforcement alone can address is like “burning the whole house down to snuff out the rats.”

“And let’s be clear. In other countries where offshore gaming isn’t a Chinese-dominated sector, the industry is a leading employer and source of added value. That’s the case in Gibraltar and Cyprus,” he added.

He said there is nothing in the law that indicates that the industry “has to be Chinese.”

“In times like these when finding sources of growth is a challenge, we should be more imaginative,” he said.

Phase-out

While members of the Senate panel agreed to ban POGOs, they have yet to settle on the period of phase-out.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito said he is ready to withdraw his support for the proposed phase-out of POGOs in the Philippines if it is done abruptly, an idea floated by chairman of the committee on ways and means Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

Ejercito maintained that legitimate POGOs and their employees should be given enough time – probably two to three years – to find alternative businesses and employment before stopping their operations.

“They have to think of alternatives already. Give (them) time to