MANILA – The Philippines only has a 1 percent conviction rate for crimes connected to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Wednesday.

The lawmaker made the statement as he reiterated his objection to allowing POGOs to continue operating in the country.

“Natuklasan rin namin sa loob ng 4 na taon, 99 na cases ang naimbestigahan ng pulis, pero 1 lang ang nakulong,” he told TeleRadyo.

“Kaya malakas ang loob ng mga criminal na konektado sa POGO kasi alam nila makakawala sila. So ang conviction rate ng mga POGO-related crimes is only 1 percent, so napakababa.”

Gatchalian noted that POGO-related crimes continued to persist in the country, even as their earnings dropped in the last two years.

The senator also noted that POGOs are an unstable source of income for the Philippines.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian earlier told senators that the country might be placed on their tourism blacklist amid the continued operations of POGOs in the Philippines.

• After Zubiri statement, Chinese embassy says PH has not been put on tourism blacklist

“Sinabi ng China na bawal, hindi pwedeng tumaya ang aming mamamayan dyan, makukulong sila. Itong negosyo na ‘to unstable dahil ito na nga nangyayari at nakikita nating blacklisting.”

“So ang ibig sabihin yung kita natin na nanggagaling sa China maaapektuhan. At pag naapektuhan yung kita natin maapektuhan rin ang mga kababayan natin na nagtatrabaho sa POGO,” he explained.

Gatchalian said the information technology – business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector can fill in the lease spaces vacated by POGOs should they be prohibited from operating in the country.

“Malaki ang IT-BPO natin, pwede siyang pumalit. At yung actually mapalad tayo may BPO tayo dahil yung BPO natin, pwedeng kunin yung mga espasyo, yung lease space ng POGO na aalisan nila,” he said.

• Panukalang pagpapasara sa mga POGO, inalmahan ng mga empleyadong Pinoy

--TeleRadyo, 12 October 2022