The Senate ended its POGO probe, with Senator Risa Hontiveros paying tribute to the victims. The investigation revealed ties to crimes like human trafficking.
Senator Risa Hontiveros put victims of illegal offshore gaming operators in the spotlight as the Philippine Senate recently concluded its investigation on the controversial industry.
The inquiry, which spanned 19 months and 15 hearings, culminated in a tribute to the victims of crimes linked to POGOs, including human trafficking and fraud.
"Kina Alex Chong, Dale Ignacio, alias Ivy, alias Karina, alias Rita, this is for you. Sa mga biktima ng mga POGO sa loob ata labas ng bansa, this is for you (For Alex Chong, Dale Ignacio, alias Ivy, alias Karina, alias Rita, this is for you. To the victims of POGOs both inside and outside the country, this is for you)," Hontiveros said in her closing remarks, as quoted by ABS-CBN News.
Key issues discussed included Chinese espionage linked to POGOs, regulatory loopholes, and corruption within governmental institutions.
Hontiveros emphasized the need for policy reforms to close these gaps and ensure justice for victims.
As the chair of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, Hontiveros was among the first to raise concerns about the offshore gambling industry's potential issues when it gained popularity for its promise of jobs and investment opportunities.
The Senate's investigation gained momentum earlier this year following the discovery of an illegal POGO hub in the town of Bamban, Tarlac. This operation was allegedly supported by then-Mayor Alice Guo, later accused to be a Chinese national named Guo Hua PIng.
The investigation on Guo opened a can of worms in the POGO industry, and prompted authorities to close down its operations. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. then ordered POGOs across the country shut down, initially through a proclamation in his State of the Nation Address, and later on formalized through Executive Order 74.
"This may be the end of our hearings on POGO, but this is only the beginning of the legislative reform that we will strive to push to ensure to every Filipino that there will never be another Alice Guo," said Senator Hontiveros.
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