House to probe online gaming

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will look into online gaming operations based in special economic zones such as Subic and Sta. Ana in Cagayan.

Resolution 2255, authored by Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz of party-list group Abakada, prompted the inquiry.

It is titled, “Directing the House committee on good government and public accountability to investigate, in aid of legislation, the reported proliferation of illegal gambling operations in the country in the guise of gaming and information technology operations, principally based in special economic zones and manned mainly by foreigners, to determine possible violations of existing laws and for other purposes.”

“Apart from possible violation of immigration, investment and information technology laws and regulations, these illegal gambling operators have also been allegedly engaged in massive tax evasion, gun running and other crimes,” he said.

He said these issues surfaced in the course of the good government committee’s investigation on the alleged bribery and corruption activities involving Chinese fugitive Wang Bo.

“One such issue involves the loose and oftentimes conflicting appreciation and implementation of immigration laws, tending to afford officials and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration undue discretion, creating in the process an environment susceptible to pressure and corruption,” De la Cruz said.

The good government committee, chaired by Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, had learned that the Chinese fugitive had a work visa issued by the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) when immigration officers arrested him at the airport upon arrival returning from Malaysia.

Chinese authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Wang Bo and had cancelled his passport for allegedly engaging in illegal transnational gambling activities.

At the time of his airport arrest, he was working for a CEZA-registered IT service provider based in Makati. He previously worked for another CEZA locator.

De la Cruz wanted the good government committee to expand its probe to include the services and activities of the Chinese national and his employers, but Rodriguez told him those issues were not covered by his panel’s mandate.

In his resolution, De la Cruz expressed concern over the “seeming ease with which companies, especially those engaging in so-called ‘new and improved information and communications technology systems,’ get to be registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission and subsequently by the special economic zones.