House Deputy Minority Leader Isagani Zarate on Sunday slammed the reopening of the Philippine offshore gaming operators despite the lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 inter-agency task force has allowed the POGOs to operate partially.
“Gambling is not a basic service and is in fact an anti-social activity that corrupts the moral fiber of our country,” Zarate said.
“Was there a strong pressure to reopen them that the IATF acceded to their request? Are the political backers of POGOs so strong that they can skirt COVID-19 regulations?
“Bayan Muna and the Makabayan bloc’S position remains the same: these POGOs should be closed with or without a pandemic. We have received numerous complaints and from residents near POGOs expressing their strong opposition to the gaming operations.”
Single policy requested
Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Sunday urged the IATF to issue a single policy on the resumption of the operations of the POGOS while the COVID-19 lockdown is still being imposed.
Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, said the IATF’s move was tantamount to allowing more than 300,000 Chinese POGO workers to return to work and possibly become COVID-19 transmitters.
“This is confusing. It seems there is a bias in favor of POGOs that will allow some 300,000 Chinese workers to resume working while millions of Filipino workers are still cooling their heels and waiting to be allowed to return to work,” Barbers said.
The IATF, on the recommendations of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, agreed that the POGOs should be considered business process outsourcing or call centers, and their workers be exempted from the lockdown.
‘Chinese mafia’
The Anakpawis Party-list on Sunday slammed the IATF for allowing the partial operation of the POGOs despite the COVID-19 lockdown.
“While the government has been very strict on alleged quarantine violators, it will allow an unscrupulous online gambling activity to operate while the Filipinos go hungry,” Ariel Casilao, former representative of the Anakpawis Party-list, said in a statement.
“The Chinese mafia’s influence in Malacanang is more powerful than the people who demand an immediate medical solution,” Casilao said.
‘Deceitful, manipulative’
The Kilusang Mayo Uno on Sunday called Malacañang “deceitful” and “manipulative” for allowing the POGOS to operate to protect the interest of China.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said recently that the POGOs were classified as part of the Business Process Outsourcing sector, and thus should be allowed to resume operations.
“It’s very outrageous to see the lengths Malacañang would go to defend and protect the business interest of Chinese gamblers,” said KMU chairman Elmer Labog.
“Who’s more important to Malacañang? We Filipino workers or those Illegal Chinese workers in the POGO hubs?”