Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez Wednesday expressed openness to the existence of the highly-controversial Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, but issued a stern reminder that all Philippine laws must be strictly adhered to the letter.
“For me, what’s important is that all our (POGO) stakeholders must follow the rule of law. For those who will violate our laws, then I must say you’ll be sorry because our law enforcers will definitely be going after you. We will implement our law to the fullest,” he warned.
“That is why if they (Chinese working in POGO outlets) are doing everything illegal, then they will really be arrested. But if they will just be law-abiders, then I don’t think we will have any problems,” the leader of the 310-member-strong House of Representatives emphasized.
The administration stalwart, who is also a lawyer by profession, said that banning POGOs is not necessarily the only solution to problems besetting the gaming industry, although he also expressed openness to it, for as long as all issues have already been discussed and weighed upon.
“We’re open to hearing all issues concerning the POGO,” he told reporters in a chance interview during the celebration of the country’s 126th Independence Day celebration in the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan where the first democratic republic in Asia was born.
“We have a process for that (banning POGOs), we have to go through that process where hearings will be held and we have to hear the concerns of all our stakeholders, what is their position” Romualdez said in a press release. “And from there, we will be weighing our options on what to do best with them.” ||
