Mark Villar questions issuance of illegal documents to Pogo workers

Sen. Mark Villar

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Mark Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusements, presided over the second public hearing on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ban the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogos).

It can be recalled that during his State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos ordered the closure of all Pogos by December 31, 2024.

Villar then filed a Senate resolution calling for an inquiry into the implementation of the President’s directive, prompting the initial hearing conducted a week after.

Since the initial public hearing, various developments have transpired in the government’s implementation of the Pogo closure.

Villar probed the presence of Pogos despite the lapsed deadline and the probable cause of their prolonged stay. He also raised the results of the recent operations of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

“Last February 4, nagkaroon po ng joint entrapment operation ang PAOCC sa travel agency na nag-i-issue ng mga pekeng dokumento sa foreign nationals. Ilan sa kanilang mga napepeke ay marriage certificates, birth certificates, at passports ng mga foreign nationals na gamit ang Filipino name,” he said.

(Last February 4, PAOCC conducted a joint entrapment operation against the travel agency that issued fake documents to foreign nationals. Several of them have fake marriage certificates, birth certificates, and Philippine passports using Filipino names.)

It surfaced during the public hearing that some foreign Pogo workers secured seemingly legitimate but fake documents with the help of travel and visa consultancy agencies.

Villar emphasized the possibility of an inside job within government agencies as these travel agencies appeared to have “connections” from the issuing government agencies.

“Kailangan po nating tingnan ang angulo na mayroong inside job. Possible na ito ang dahilan ng pagpapatuloy ng pagpasok ng mga foreign nationals sa Pilipinas gamit ang mga fake documents.”

(We have to consider the angle that there is an inside job. This is the possible reason why foreign nationals can still enter the Philippines using fake documents.)

“Along with PAOCC, naniniwala po tayo na ito ang ‘missing link’ sa ating imbestigasyon sa Pogos. Ang illegal agencies na ito na nag-iissue ng mga fake documents ay siguradong mayroong koneksyon sa iba’t-ibang government agencies na nag-iissue ng mga dokumentong ito. Hindi po malayo na mayroon silang kasabwat upang makapag-issue ng mga pekeng dokumento sa mga foreign nationals. This new discovery makes us realize that we barely scratched the surface of this Pogo issue.”

(Along with PAOCC, we believe that this is the missing link in our investigation into Pogos. These illegal agencies that issued fake documents surely have connections to government agencies that issued these documents. It is possible that they have accomplices to issue fake documents to foreign nationals.)

Villar also emphasized the negative impact inflicted on Filipinos.

“Sa dami ng mga naglabasan na issue na ito, naniniwala po tayo na talagang the social cost of Pogos outweighs their supposed economic contribution. With all the reports of human trafficking, scamming, and abuse, we cannot just sit idly by as these Pogos continuously operate in our land. Hindi matutumbasan ng kanilang supposed economic contribution ang mga negatibong epekto nito sa ating mga kababayan. Kailangan nating siguraduhin na maipapasara na natin ang mga Pogo sa lalong madaling panahon at maiimbestigahan na ang tumutulong sa kanilang illegal operations.”

(With the numerous issues that have emerged, we firmly believe that the social cost of Pogos far outweighs their supposed economic contribution. With all the reports of human trafficking, scamming, and abuse, we cannot just sit idly by while these Pogos continue to operate in our land. Their supposed economic contribution cannot make up for the negative effects they bring to our fellow citizens. We must ensure that these Pogoss are shut down as soon as possible and that those aiding their illegal operations are investigated.)

Updates on the implementation will be further discussed with the agencies, alongside the deportation of these foreign Pogo workers and the enforcement of similar sanctions to Filipino Pogo workers who allegedly committed similar crimes, in succeeding public hearings.