‘As long as they obey our laws’: Guevarra says 'not alarmed at all' by Chinese-dominated POGOs
MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Saturday he was not bothered by the growing Chinese gambling activity in the country amid concerns from security officials over the proximity of some Chinese-dominated online gaming hubs to military bases.
Guevarra said he does not object to the idea of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGOS, operating in ecozones as long as the Chinese — who comprise most of workers in online casinos — follow Philippine laws.
“As long as the Chinese strictly obey our laws and ordinances and respect our customs and traditions, and do not take away jobs that Filipinos themselves can do, I am not alarmed at all,” the justice chief told reporters in a text message.
“Our own countrymen migrate by the hundreds of thousands to other countries, but no one has expressed any serious concern at all,” he added.
The POGO industry employs more than 100,000 workers — most of whom are from China accommodating Chinese punters overseas. The influx of Chinese nationals has been pushing up property prices, with POGOs now seen overtaking call centers in terms of office demand by yearend.
But while POGOs and China’s gambling fever could help the economy, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday some Chinese investors and workers in the POGO sector could be spies, noting that some online casinos are close to key military installations.
“So, I support the idea to put them in a hub far from our military camps,” Lorenzana said, adding that Filipinos still mistrust China due to the Asian power’s maritime encroachment on the contested South China Sea — parts of which is the West Philippine Sea.
“They should be there so that they will be under the control of authorities as well as by the Finance (department) and Immigration (bureau),” Lorenzana continued.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila last week signalled an intensified crackdown on cross-border Chinese gambling activities and urged the Philippine government to protect the rights of Chinese citizens working in POGOS and who were exposed to “modern slavery.” — with a report from Kristine Joy Patag
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