Marcos Jr.’s POGO ban a ‘political grandstanding’—political analyst

Marcos Jr.’s POGO ban a ‘political grandstanding’—political analyst

PRESIDENT Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. made the announcement during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), formally enacting a ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country.

But for Professor Anna Malindog-Uy, a political analyst, Marcos Jr.’s order cannot be implemented immediately, because…

 “And there were also some statements that were somewhat misleading. for me, I think it is more of a political grandstanding. The issue with the POGO, he said, “From now on, POGO is banned” without even considering that actually that statement is difficult to implement when you think about it. We need to understand that in the Philippines, there are legal POGOs, legal POGOs, and there are contracts between the government and the legal POGOs. That’s what he needs to clarify,” said Prof. Anna Malindog-Uy, Political Analyst.

“Legal POGOs” refer to those recognized as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) under the regulation of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and authorized to operate in the country.

“He seems to be engaging in political grandstanding, he received applause, but when people settle down and think about it, they’ll realize, “wait a minute, there seems to be something wrong there,” said Malindog-Uy.

Following Marcos Jr.’s announcement, PAGCOR Chief Alejandro Tengco wants to discuss further to clarify whether the ban will include the operation of the more than 40 IGLs, as he stated that these are the companies under their jurisdiction and not including illegal POGOs.

And if the ban on these operators proceeds, around 40-K workers will be affected, including drivers, security guards, and other employees not directly working for the said IGLs.

Meanwhile, Malindog-Uy believes that Marcos Jr.’s SONA lacks substance, as it did not fully address many important issues, such as inflation, which has caused prices of goods to increase rapidly, as well as efforts to combat crime and illegal drugs in the Philippines.

“His SONA is not that substantive, there’s not much content on the achievements of his administration over the last two years. Because, if you really look at the first two SONAs— when you give a SONA, you report to the nation. So, what you said in your last SONA should be reported in terms of what you’ve accomplished, what was said in the last SONA, and then what is your next step as you enter another year of administration. So far, when it comes to achievements, [BBM’S SONA is] not that substantial,” expressed Malindog-Uy.

 

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