MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said there were no loopholes in his Executive Order (EO) No. 74, banning the use of Philippine Offshore Gaming, internet gaming, and other offshore gaming operations in the country.
In an ambush interview, the Chief Executive said casinos and resorts with casinos are not exempted from operating POGOs.
“They cannot. There’s just no way because it’s the nature of the operation that we are banning,” Marcos said. “Basta’t POGO yan, basta’t ganyan ang operasyon nila, they’re banned.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Monday that there are two unclear provisions in EO No. 74 that needs to be addressed, including whether casinos and resorts with casinos are exempt from operating POGOs.
In his State of the Nation Address in July 2024, Marcos banned all POGOs in the country, saying these had ventured into illicit activities such as scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, torture, and murder.
EO No. 74 states that the ban on POGOs and internet gaming licenses shall encompass illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations. /PN
