Legislators Plan to Amend Current Laws to Prevent Resurgence of POGOs in the PH

The Philippine government is set to release an executive order (EO) implementing a total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) by the end of the month. Legislators are working to future-proof the ban against future administrations by amending current laws to prevent the resurgence of POGOs in the country.

According to PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz, the EO draft is nearly complete. “I’ve seen the draft and I think [it will be out] in two weeks’ time,” Cruz stated during a Senate committee on ways and means hearing.

The POGO ban was announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, [and] even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” Marcos said back then.

Some senators are pursuing additional legislation to reinforce the ban and prevent the potential return of POGOs. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has introduced Senate Bill No. 2689 to repeal the taxability of offshore gaming under Republic Act No. 11590, which currently legitimizes POGO operations. Meanwhile, Senators Joel Villanueva and Alan Peter Cayetano are advocating for Senate Bill Nos. 63, 1281, and 2752, all of which aim to prohibit POGOs and other forms of online gambling.

The EO will define key terms related to the POGO operations and establish how the ban will be implemented. Cruz mentioned that the technical working group (TWG) would be formed to resolve implementation details, including which entities will be covered. PAGCOR, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., will be part of this TWG.

Despite the expected issuance of the EO, Senator Gatchalian emphasized the importance of enacting legislation to ensure the permanence of the ban.

“We will not allow POGOs to return to the country. We will clearly define what is POGO, what are the businesses associated with POGOs … we will include all that in the law so that it will be institutionalized. Whoever is the sitting President, these POGOs cannot be allowed to operate again because there is already a law against them,” he was quoted as saying in a report published by the Inquirer.

When questioned about whether the EO would also impact Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) entities and other online games, PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco clarified that BPOs involved in gaming do not accept bets but provide backroom operations for international gaming companies outside the Philippines.

“They do not accept any form of bets. The main thing that they do is serve as backroom operations of legitimate and big gaming companies based all over the world.”

A Senate Committee on Games and Amusement will also visit three Special-class BPOs to learn more about their operations.

Read related article: Malacañang Preparing Executive Order to Implement POGO Ban