'Malaking tagumpay': Government officials react to Marcos’ POGO ban announcement during SONA 2024
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. garnered loud cheers and a standing ovation from the audience when he announced the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators effective Monday, July 22 during his third State of the Nation Address.
Before concluding his speech, the Chief Executive stressed that it’s time to put an end to the “grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws'' by POGO hubs in the country.
“Naririnig po namin ang malakas na sigaw ng taumbayan laban sa mga POGO,” he said. “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture—even murder.”
“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. Kailangan nang itigil ang panggulo nito sa ating lipunan, at paglalapastangan sa ating bansa,” he emphasized before earning a standing ovation and a round of applause from the crowd.
“Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” he declared.
“I hereby instruct PAGCOR to wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year,” he continued, adding that the Department of Labor and Employment should coordinate with economic managers as they “use the time between now and then to find new jobs for our countrymen who will now then be displaced.”
According to him, this move “will solve many of the problems that we are encountering,” but “not all of them.”
“To solve all the problems that we have been suffering under, all officials, law enforcers, workers in government and most of all the citizenry must always be vigilant, principled, and think of the health of the nation,” he said.
Government officials react to POGO ban
Marcos' announcement gained national attention and notable reactions from government officials.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, stood up and cheered with other lawmakers after the President's declaration. (Hontiveros has publicly expressed her support for a total ban on POGOs in the Philippines.)
"Hindi ako makapaniwala," she told reporters after Marcos' address. “Nakaramdam talaga ako, malaking tagumpay ito sa mga babae at bata na nagsumbong at sa mga whistleblower na nagsumbong. Ito ay importanteng tagumpay para sa mamamayan."
Former president Gloria Arroyo, who is now the representative of Pampanga's 2nd district, called the move “a very popular decision.”
“In my district, there’s a POGO facility there. In my district, it’s a very popular decision,” she said in an interview with GMA News.
When asked whether the losses will be offset by gains, she replied, “What gains are there with human trafficking, with prostitution, with Internet scams?"
Makati Mayor Abby Binay, for her part, said it’s important for national government agencies to review their next steps in implementing the President’s order to minimize the possible impacts of the ban in cities with legal POGOs like Makati.
“Ang revenue sa amin is really more ancillary, meaning, ‘yung mga kumakain sa restaurant, ‘yung mga hotel, ‘yung renta, maaapektuhan ‘yung property, ‘yung mga leasing, ‘yung mga rental spaces kasi madaming aalis, so parang tataas ngayon yung non-occupancy ng mga properties sa loob ng isang lungsod,” she told ABS-CBN News.
According to Binay, the move could also have a “rippling effect on the economy of our local government.”
“Dahil mayroon nang direksyon ang presidente, paghandaan natin ano 'yung mga kailangan nating gawin na project para 'pag eventually, dumating na 'yung araw na isasara na sila, mayroon na tayong plano para dun sa mga maapektuhan na mga tao na mawawalan ng trabaho, babagsak ang negosyo," she said. “'Yun yung mga kailangan nating pag-aralan at paghandaan.”
Sen. Win Gatchalian said he would give the President's third SONA a "perfect score" because of the announcement.
"Very loud and clear yung speech ng ating pangulo: Lahat ng POGO, ibaban. Hindi lang illegal, kundi all POGOs ibaban," he told reporters.
"Para sa akin, 10 out of 10 ang grado ko dito sa SONA ng ating Pangulo dahil very decisive. Kailangan natin ng decisive leadrs dahil nakaharap tayo sa maraming problema," he added.
Raids conducted since 2023 have suggested that human trafficking, scams, torture, and prostitution, among others are taking place in some POGO facilities. Among the most talked about raids are the ones in Hongsheng Gaming Technology Incorporated and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated, to which suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is allegedly being linked.
Guo and 13 others were slapped with a human trafficking complaint in June. She has shut down claims about her involvement in such issues and noted that "mere connections to companies or individuals do not suffice as grounds for labeling someone a conspirator."
"Having connections to companies or individuals, especially when vague, is not enough to link someone to a case, particularly one involving human trafficking," she said.