Last month, Philippine Senator Joel Villanueva again demanded an end to online gambling in the country due to evidence linking the controversial industry to torture, kidnapping, human trafficking and even murder.
According to the Philippine News Agency, on June 27 Villanueva pushed for passage of Senate Bill 1281, which he first filed in 2022, to prohibit Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and other forms of online gambling in the country.
“There should be no debate that the social costs of gambling far outweigh any benefits,” he said in a statement. “We must put an end to this once and for all.” Villanueva added that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) has “unfortunately failed” to keep the industry free of crime.
Recently, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said lawmakers should not penalize legal regulated POGO operations—now called Internet Gaming Licensees, or IGLs—for the actions of the lawbreakers.
“Our licensees pay taxes and they help provide legitimate jobs and livelihood to a lot of people,” Tengco said. Today, 46 POGOs operate legally in the country, down from a high of about 300 in 2016.
Villanueva shot back, saying POGOs recently raided in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga “were both ex-PAGCOR licensees found to be running scam operations. This is why we reiterate our call not only to completely ban POGOs but also all forms of online gaming.”
Under Villanueva’s bill, anyone found to be involved in online gambling would be subject to penalties including up to six months in jail or fines of up to PHP500,000 (US$8,500).
“The consequences of gambling and online gambling are too severe to be ignored,” Villanueva said. “The cost of gambling is no longer limited to the loss of money, but extends to the loss of values and lives.”
In related news, according to Inside Asian Gaming, the Philippine Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality will hold an inquiry into Tengco’s claims that a former cabinet official was involved in granting illegal POGO licenses. Tengco did not name the official, who reportedly worked during the regime of former president Rodrigo Duterte and former PAGCOR Chairwoman and CEO Andrea Domingo.
“I hope the PAGCOR chief deems (the hearing) the right forum to reveal what he knows,” said Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who also has campaigned against POGOs. “Whoever the ex-cabinet official turns out to be, the fact remains: POGOs are being used as a legal cover for scam hubs.”
PAGCOR Assistant Vice President Catalino Alano Jr. acknowledged that “several government officials” have lobbied the regulator on behalf of would-be licensees.
“The chairman himself got calls and hints from those officials,” Alano said. “There were many who reached out to the chairman, to PAGCOR, for their request to get a license because as you know, a big sum of money is involved in this.”
