President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. is still determining whether the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are a good idea for the country considering the crimes linked to their operations.
Speaking to Palace reporters before flying back to the country on Saturday, Marcos said POGOs may not be worth allowing if their conducts bring the social cost to the country.
"It’s not a huge part of our economy. And if it’s adjudged that there is a social cost, it might not be worth it. The cost might not be worth what they’re paying in taxes anymore," he said.
However, the President clarified that only those illegal POGOs are causing problems in the country as they were the ones usually involved in the abductions and killings.
"The problem are the illegal ones, not the legal ones. The legal ones pay their bills, pay their taxes and you know those ‘yung mga video na nakikita natin nagpapatayan ‘yun mga illegal ‘yun. Kaya ang dami na natin pinaalis na illegal. Nagsara kami ng mga illegal POGO at dineport (deport) lahat nung mga kanilang tao," he added.
In October last year, the Chinese government included the Philippines in its tourism blacklist over the continued operations of offshore gaming operators in the country.
The Chinese Embassy said the crimes associated with POGOs not only harm China's interests but also the Philippines'.
The Embassy also stressed that the “social costs of POGO far outweigh its economic benefits to the Philippines in the long run and POGO should be tackled from the root so as to address the social ills in a sweeping manner.”
The Chinese government earlier issued a crackdown on the operations of POGOs, as gambling is illegal in China.
