The government in the Philippines has continued with plans for a rapid phaseout of Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) industry.
One of the key factors that had previously slowed the eradication of the sector was its impact on the working economy, however there have been assurances the return of foreign workers will be a swift process.
It comes following the orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s, as he fast tracked the ban of POGOS in the country.
In a speech given to reporters, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla emphasised that the policy’s implementation is now in motion, highlighting that the significant number of Filipinos being employed in the sector had previously impacted the speed of the plans.
Remulla added that she believes Marcos was abundantly clear in the speech, stating that workers will “have to bite the bullet”, because of the social cost of POGOs.
The decision of Marcos to eradicate POGOs builds on the continued efforts of the authorities in the region to clamp down on offshore gambling and clean up its gambling industry.
Speaking at his state of the nation address, Marcos said: “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas beyond 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. It is necessary to stop this disturbance in our society, and the desecration of our country.”
Marcos underlined his belief that the outlawing of POGOs can have a significant impact when it comes to solving the country’s problems, as he added that “citizenry must always be vigilant, principled, and think of the health of the nation”.
