Escudero on Pigos: ‘Is it worth it?’
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero couldn’t help but question on Thursday why authorities have banned Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) but are allowing the continued presence of Philippine inland gaming operators (Pigos) in the country.
Speaking at a press conference, Escudero said the market of Pigos is Filipinos, which means that it is Filipinos who are also getting addicted to gambling.
“Alam mo yan ang hindi ko maintindihan, sa totoo lang. Binan natin ang Pogo [at] gustong ipagbawal sa pamamagitan ng batas ang Pogo, ang pogo ang ibig sabihin ay Philippine offshore gaming operations — yung mga dayuhan ang nagsusugal dyan. Dayuhan ang nasisira ang pamilya, nalululong sa sugal, nawawalan ng pera dahil sa sugal. Ipinagbawal natin,” said Escudero.
(You know what, that’s what I can’t understand. We have banned Pogos and we want to ban Pogos through law. Pogo means Philippine offshore gaming operations — its market is foreigners and they are the ones gambling there. It’s the foreigners whose lives are getting ruined because of gambling. We’ve banned it.)
“Pero pinayagan natin ang Pigo — Philippine Inland Gaming Operations kung saan ang nagsusugal ay Pilipino, hindi dayuhan. Ang nawawalan at nauubusan ng pera ay Pilipino, hindi dayuhan at malamang sa malamang ‘yung mga dating Pogo ay nagtatago sa likod ng Pigo,” he added.
(But we are allowing Pigo — Philippine Inland Gaming Operations whose target market is Filipinos, not foreigners. It is Filipinos who are losing money, not foreigners and most likely, the old Pogos are only hiding behind Pigo.)
After airing his sentiment, Escudero appealed to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to review Pigo’s policies.
He said there’s a need to know the amount of revenues brought in by Pigos as he asked why Pagcor can let go of Pogos and the earnings that come along with it and not to do the same with Pigos.
“Pwede bang makuha yung datos mula sa Pagcor? Pwede bang makuha natin yung datos mula sa anumang relevant government agency kabilang na ang BIR — magkano nga ba ang nakukuha natin dito, and like the questions we ask in relation to Pogo, is it worth it?” he asked.
(Can we get the data from Pagcor? Can we get the data from relevant government agencies, including BIR — how much are we getting here, and like the questions we ask in relation to Pogo, is it worth it?)
President Bongbong Marcos, during his third State of the Nation Address in July, ordered the ban of all Pogos in the Philippines. He then subsequently ordered Pagcor to wind down and seize the operations of these firms by the end of the year.
Marcos: ‘All Pogos are banned!’
But since Marcos ordered the ban, reports came in that Pogo hubs have begun resorting to various ways to conceal their operations. Some even pretend to be business process outsourcing firms.
Some Pogos skirt ban, move operations to Visayas, Mindanao – PAOCC
