And so it came to pass. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the country’s gaming regulator, the be-all and end-all of gambling in the country who issues accreditations to the controversial Philippine offshore gaming operations, the cross-border gambling that eludes the laws of China and embraced by our country – had finally cracked the whip.
Yes, the gaming regulator finally cracked the whip. With at least one online gambling operator inside the Clark Freeport Zone losing its accreditation to hold online gaming activities in the area, which is supposed to be a haven of big businesses and not the social costs of gambling which are human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and so on.
“Abide by Philippine laws,” so said PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco smarting from the recent cancellation of accreditation of CGC Technologies Inc., which operates online gaming at the Sun Valley Business Hub, again inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
Said Tengco: “We will continuously subject our offshore gaming licensees and service providers to stricter monitoring.”
“PAGCOR will continue to work hand in hand with law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe and responsible gaming environment not only for Filipinos but also for other nationalities. Only through regulated and responsible gaming can we minimize, if not totally eradicate all crimes that are being linked to gaming activities.”
Well, which comes to mind: How can regulated and responsible gaming minimize or eradicate crimes that are being linked to gambling?
Gambling destroys families, it destroys the life of an addicted gambler and diminishes his or her chances of becoming a productive member of the society because of that gambling addiction as they slide into that abyss of no return.
Some loses their families, their properties, and the worse of all, their self-worth.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of families had been affected by the “online sabong” that reduced residents to penury. A tricycle driver who feeds a family of four simply earns a pittance, and he would pass by the online sabong station to try his luck. Some had even committed suicide.
If PAGCOR is capable of closing one Pogo operator inside the Clark Freeport Zone, why not close all of them?
The state-run Clark Development Corporation (CDC) does not even know the presence of a congregation of foreigners right inside its property. And they were operating without proper accreditations. Yet, CDC is in the woods.
Perhaps PAGCOR should close all Pogos inside Clark and even those outside the Clark Freeport Zone. It is the only way to stop the endless stream of human trafficking because these Pogos require Mandarin-speaking workers or other Asian nationalities that are now present inside the Clark Freeport Zone.
PAGCOR said that CGC Technologies Inc. had violated conditions attached to its accreditation and it was found out that it was operating six buildings inside the Sun Valley Business Hub in Mabalacat, Pampanga, when it was allowed to operate with only two.
PAGCOR warns Pogo operators that it will cancel their licenses if they will engage in illegal activities something that could only be done with strict monitoring. And who will do the monitoring? The CDC?
“We will continuously subject our offshore gaming licensees and service providers to stricter monitoring,” so said Tengco.
In the wake of the Clark raid, more than 1,000 computers and devices had been confiscated and now subjected to forensic investigation. “Only through regulated and responsible gaming can we minimize, if not totally eradicate all crimes that are being linked to gaming activities.” We can only agree.
Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Grace Poe are doing a great job running after Pogos. Gatchalian specifically wanted to stop operations of Pogos in the country. Big “syndicates could be fronting as Pogos but are engaged in criminal activities such as human trafficking and scamming.”
In the meantime, let us see what PAGCOR will do next.