MANILA—Senator Imee Marcos, head of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs said the plan of the government to pass a law legalizing the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) would have a hard time in the senate.
This was disclosed by the senator during her radio-interview on Sunday, monitored by Sandigan News and Banat Pilipinas News, saying there were more pressing issues to tackle in the senate especially on the post Covid-19 pandemic scenario.
“Sa palagay ko talo yan, hindi yata mangyayari yan, eh, sa akin lang ha, kung isumatutal ang lahat na perhuwisyo na dulot niyan, tulad ng krimen at paglabag sa batas, ay hindi yata sulit ang hirap,” Sen. Marcos said.
Last week, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Disease had approved the resumption of the operations of POGO as long as they comply with the health guidelines set by DOH. President Rodrigo R. Duterte, likewise, suggested to congress to pass a law legalizing the operation of the POGO for the reason that it could provide the needed revenues for the government to fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
“Baka magalit na sa atin ang China at hindi na tayo tulongan ng mga pangangailangan natin sa Covid-19 dahil sinabi nila na isara na ang POGO sa Pilipinas,” she continued.
She said that POGO has been a source of headache of the Philippine National Police because of many crimes committed by Chinese workers and the Bureau of Internal Revenue is having a hard time in collecting the right taxes.
According to the National Economic Development Authority, only about Php 73-billion was collected from the POGO so far. “Ano ba yan? Ang liit na ibinigay nilang buwis. Mas malaki pa seguro ang ibinalik nila na kita sa China kaysa didto sa Pilipinas,” she further said.
Instead, Sen. Marcos plans to provide more incentives to foreign and local investors because of the big number of displaced workers affected by Covid-19 crisis. “Mga 2 milyon yata ang mawalan ng trabaho kaya’t bigyan natin ng incentives ang mamuhunan dito upang mayroon silang matatrabahoan muli,” Sen. Marcos concluded.
