ILLEGAL POGO. Authorities raid an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Las Piñas City on June 26, 2023. Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday (July 30, 2024) filed a measure calling for the permanent cancellation of POGO licenses following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order to ban all POGOs in the country. (Photo courtesy of PNP-Anti Cybercrime Group)
MANILA – Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday filed a bill to repeal the law taxing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs due to the disorder and disrespect for Philippine laws.
Senate Bill (SB) No. 2752 calls for permanently canceling POGO licenses and giving 30 days for POGOs to cease operations.
"Bilang pagsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos, kailangan na rin po nating siguraduhin na wala nang bakas ng POGO sa Pilipinas (In compliance with the directive of President Marcos, we must also make sure that there is no more trace of POGO in the Philippines)," Villanueva said.
Failure to comply with the proposed bill may result in imprisonment of 12 to 20 years or a fine of PHP100 million or both and will subject the foreign offenders to deportation after serving the sentence.
SB 2752 also mandates the Bureau of Internal Revenue to continue collecting unpaid taxes from POGOs despite the repeal.
A Workers' Transition Program will also be implemented to assist the affected Filipino workers.
Villanueva emphasized that the negative impacts of POGOs outweigh any benefits from the taxes they pay and urged their expulsion from the country.
"The evidence of crimes and social ills from POGO operations immensely overwhelm the benefits the Filipinos get from the taxes they pay," Villanueva said.
If passed into law, SB 2752 shall repeal Republic Act No. 11590 or the Act Taxing POGO, which was signed into law in 2021. (PNA)
