Marcos urged to ban POGO s anew

CEBU, Philippines —  Senator Risa Hontiveros again urged President Bongbong Marcos to take immediate action and ban all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO s) from the country to prevent the spread of rampant illegal activities that pose a serious threat to national security, particularly if any are found in the Visayas.

 Panawagan ko ngayon kay presidente mismo at sa National Security Council na kung kanila ring masasabi na national security threat ang POGO, palayasin na yan dito sa Pilipinas,  Hontiveros said.

While Hontiveros said in a recent press conference at the University of the Philippines-Cebu that they don t have any information yet regarding POGO s in the Visayas, they are, however, still continuing to investigate together with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.

She said the POGO issue might be resolved if the national government acted on the committee recommendations they had relayed or if the president bans all POGO s immediately.

 Maco-cover na lahat kung meron man dito sa Visayas or anywhere else in the Philippines... magiging blanket yung pagpapalayas ng POGO sa buong bansa,  Hontiveros said.

She hopes to reveal at least three more things on the record in the next Senate hearing on July 10.

First, she wants Bamban Mayor Alice Leal Guo to finally reveal her identity.

 Marami rami pang mga tao na tatanungin namin tungkol sa Bamban Pogo Hub at pati sa Porac Pogo Hub para once and for all sumagot ng totoo si Guo Hua Ping tungkol sa kaniyang identity at kaniyang nasyonalidad,  she said.

Second, Hontiveros wants Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco to disclose the former Cabinet Official allegedly facilitating and protecting POGO s.

 Sabihin niya iyon sa susunod na hearing para mabuo na namin yung cast of characters at mailagay sa findings kung sino-sino ang kompletong responsable para sa paglipana ng POGO dulot ng kung ano anong lagim dito sa Pilipinas,  she said.

Last, they want to determine a possible connection between POGO s and a major Senate investigation during the previous Congress. Hontiveros said the result would be significant if those responsible in the past are the same cast of characters involved in POGO s now.

 Ibig sabihin sa loob ng maraming taon ay gumagawa ng ganiton klaseng modus at pinagkakakitaan talaga ng ating mga kababayan even at the expense sa paglabag sa ating mga karapatan,  Hontiveros said.

Though they have yet to discover the root cause of the complex scheme of Guo, Hontiveros said she is satisfied with how they are running the investigation. Yet she is also disheartened because of the revelations it brought that have long harmed the Philippines.

 Satisfied mind pero yung puso ko lalong nagiging restless dito sa nadidiskubre namin,  Hontiveros said.  Donna Rose Egos, CNU intern/BRP