SENATOR Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian sponsors Senate Bill No. 2868, also known as the Anti-POGO Act of 2024, which seeks to prohibit and declare illegal all offshore gaming operations (POGOs) and their related activities in the Philippines.
In his sponsorship speech Monday, December 9, 2024, Gatchalian cited the annual cost of P99.52 billion in economic losses due to POGOs in 2023 as reported by the Department of Finance.
Gatchalian emphasized the significant social costs associated with POGO operations, particularly the surge in POGO-related crimes and underscored the need for an outright ban, instead of a gradual phaseout.
“Ban POGOs once and for all and restore integrity, dignity and peace to our nation,” Gatchalian stressed.
Gatchalian’s move was supported by Sen. Joel Villanueva who said the clamor to ban POGOs in the country started since 2016 but the proliferation of illegal activities perpetuated by POGOs remains the same today.
“According to the Department of Finance (DOF), the economic costs of POGOs amount to a total of P265.74 billion, which significantly outweighs the supposed benefits amounting to P166.49 billion.
“These amounts do not even include social costs – loss of life, physical and psychological harm to victims, and the increased sense of fear and anxiety in communities associated with POGO activities,” Villanueva pointed out (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau).