Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Robert Ace Barbers on Friday, July 5, encouraged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to publicize the complete list of legal and illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country.
Barbers appealed to PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco to cooperate with the congress and release the list of POGOs operating with proper accreditation and those without licenses.
A report that a former cabinet member from the previous administration allegedly lobbied and used influence to secure permits for POGOs to operate in the country, prompted the request.
According to Barbers, POGOs now serve as fronts for criminal activities and this should not be allowed in the country.
From the information gathered by Barbers, aside from Chinese nationals, Vietnamese, Malaysians, and Indonesians are now flocking to the country and entering POGOs.
He claims that they can easily enter the country without a visa as part of the ASEAN member nations.
Barbers warned the Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine Retirement Authority against granting working visas to foreign nationals aiming to be part of the POGO operations in the country.
