Gatchalian calls the suggestion to outlaw POGOs "non-negotiable"

All Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) would have one year to finish their work in the nation, pack up, and depart.

This was emphasized by Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Wednesday as he reaffirmed his support for the committee report written by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and focused on his suggestion to outlaw POGOs.

Before a chairman-written committee report is approved by the ways and means panel and sent to the plenary for discussion, debate, and eventual voting, it must receive at least ten signatures.

Nevertheless, Villanueva acknowledged the senators' worries and the necessity of giving POGO businesses that strictly adhere to national laws consideration.

“Ang concern nung ilang senador, and I can understand where they’re coming from. Yung mga nagbayad, yung mga legal na nagbayad ng buwis for so long, biglang sasabihin mo sa kanila, teka lang pagkatapos namin kayong buwisan, isasara na namin kayo. That’s why I am also for transition period,” Villanueva explained.

“For me okay kasi ako sa one-year na nakalagay dun sa committee report. But I’m open to discussions if they wanted to extend, or give more leeway dun sa mga nauna na, at since time immemorial has been paying taxes,” he added.

Other senators are pushing for a two-year transition period to phase out POGOs, and some want to show illegal POGOs that they can be collared soon.

“May iba na nagsasabi na unahin munang ipakita dun sa mga iligal (POGO) na kaya din naman ng PNP na mai-track ito at maipasara ito,” he said.

According to him, numerous crimes, many of which are allegedly committed by so-called illegal offshore gaming companies, are still plaguing the nation in relation to POGO.

He claimed that the current predicament only serves to demonstrate how ill-equipped and unprepared the government—and especially the PNP and PAGCOR—is to manage POGO operations.