Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto submitted a letter to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that pushes for the total ban of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in the country.
Initially, Recto does not reject the idea of POGO but issues circulating its operations prompted the finance secretary to submit a letter of recommendation to the President.
Sec. Recto highlighted the illegal activities done in POGO hubs including that of Bamban, Tarlac and recently-raided in Porac, Pampanga.
According to him, he is well aware of the problems POGO entails and most of it are being revealed in the Senate hearing.
"I don’t think that we should prioritize POGO," Sec. Recto said.
The secretary also mentioned that POGO may only continue to operate in the country if they will be managed and run properly.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary Arsenio Balisacan previously mentioned that the requests regarding total ban of POGO is still yet to be discussed by the Cabinet.
Recto reiterated that the fate of POGO in the Philippines now lies within the President's hands.
