INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The state gaming regulator will not object should President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Congress decide to ban the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos).
This was according to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chief Alejandro Tengco when asked during a Senate hearing on Wednesday about the continued problems linked to Pogos.
“Ang paniwala ko po, kasama ng pangkasalukuyang pamunuan ng Pagcor, if we properly regulate and really properly monitor [the Pogos] ay sayang din po ang buwis na kikitain ng Pagcor at ganun din naman ng Bureau of Internal Revenues…” he said.
(My belief, along with the current leadership of Pagcor, is that if we properly regulate and really properly monitor the Pogos, we would lose the potential tax revenues for Pagcor and also for the Bureau of Internal Revenue.)
READ: Pagcor chief Tengco appears in Senate probe into Pogos
“Yun po ang position namin sa pangkasalukyan pero kung ang magiging decision po ng Senado, ng Kongreso, ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas ay totally isara na ito, e wala po kaming gagawing pagkontra dito,” Tengco said, in response to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s query during the hearing of the Senate committee on women.
(That’s out position at the moment but if the decision of the Senate, the Congress, and the President of the Philippines is to totally shut it down, then we will not oppose it.)
Banning of Pogos is not an assurance though that criminalities linked to it would now stop, the Pagcor chief said.
In fact, Tengco believes foreign criminals are now all over the Philippines and they will no longer return to their countries, such as China, even if Pogos are shut down.
Without Pogos, the Pagcor chief estimated P22 billion to P23 billion revenue losses for this year alone.
READ: Social and economic costs of Pogos
He likewise mentioned the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who would lose their jobs once Pogos are banned.
When panel head Senator Risa Hontiveros raised the sentiments by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and National Economic Development Authority (Neda) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan against Pogos, the Pagcor chief repeated his position on the issue.
“Sinabi ko nga po, collectively kung yun ang magiging final decision ako ay sasang-ayon,” he stressed.
(As I said, collectively if that would be the final decision, I will agree.)
“Hindi naman po ako ekonomista tulad ng Neda o ng namumuno sa Department of Finance ngayon. Kung sa paniwala nila yun ang dapat maging position e, ay palagay ko po isa lang po ang masasabi ko: Kami po’y hindi kokontra sa kanilang rekomendasyon na yun,” Tengco said.
(I am not an economist like the NEDA or the current head of the Department of Finance. If they believe that should be the position, I can only say this: we will not oppose their recommendation.)
But why not just recommend a permanent ban? Gatchalian asked.
Aside from the projected revenue losses, Tengco said he considers it a challenge to fix and put the Pogo industry in order.
He also cited the legitimate firms from other countries like Thailand and Singapore who would be affected by the proposed ban of Pogos.