POGO: A LOSS-LOSS SITUATION FOR THE PHILIPPINES

The online gambling business of the Chinese known otherwise as POGO or the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation is doing more harm than good against the Philippine government because of the following disadvantages to wit: 1.) It is not taxable; 2.) Some POGO workers might have carried COVID 19 virus all the way from mainland China to the Philippines; 3.) Prostitution has spiked in Metro Manila because of the proliferation of male Chinese POGO workers who become/became customers in the local sex trade; 4.) Plenty of Chinese POGO workers have contributed to the increase of criminality like kidnapping in Metro Manila against fellow Chinese workers and other Filipino citizens; 5.) The POGO can be a front of China for the same in spying against the Philippines; 6.) The presence of the Chinese POGO workers serves as a competition against Filipinos who can/may also be workers in the same online gambling industry.

While it is true that the Chinese POGO operations have some advantages like 1.) The boom of tourism which may boost the economy; 2.) The income of the country by way of the Philippine Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR through its gambling franchising and regulatory powers and 3.) The local income of the host cities of POGOs through their business permit issuances, it is still very clear that this online betting industry's disadvantages outweigh the advantages. So why keep the same when it offers more harm than good for the Philippines?

Let me discuss the disadvantages POGO has contributed to the country as I have enumerated above.

*** I - POGO IS NON-TAXABLE.

The National Tax Code of the Philippines provides that all income/s of resident aliens and/or foreign corporations derived without or outside the Philippines is/are non-taxable. It is true that the online betting is being done in the Philippines as regards the POGO operations but the income/s of the same is/are derived from the online bettors from all corners of the world especially China, hence its income/s is/are not taxable in this respect.

*** II - SOME OR PLENTY OF CHINESE WORKERS ARE COVID 19 VIRUS CARRIERS.

It is of public knowledge that the COVID 19 has originated from Wuhan City, Hubie, China, and because of COVID 19's outbreak in China, some Chinese POGO workers might have carried rhe virus from mainland China and transported it to the Philippines, thereby infecting plenty of its citizens and eventually killing many of them.

*** III - POGO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SPIKE OF PROSTITUTION IN METRO MANILA.

Studies will show that the illegal sex trade in Metro Manila and in some places outside the National Capital Region where POGOs exist has spiked due to the proliferation of male Chinese POGO workers who have earthly cravings for sex. Young and beautiful but jobless women in the countryside may go to Metro Manila to look for easy money by way of the illicit sex trade which espouses sexual immorality and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis and the like. This development would also badly paint the Philippines internationally as a destination for sex tourism.

*** IV - POGO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE RISE OF CRIMINALITY IN METRO MANILA.

We have viewed from national televisions and have also read from newspapers and tabloids of crimes like kidnapping, drug-using, physical injuries, etc. etc. where Chinese POGO workers were involved against their fellow Chinese POGO workers and in some cases against Filipino citizens. These bad developments are uncalled for and must be addressed properly by the government and its agents like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation so that this problem may be curbed. If this problem may not be addressed and checked by the authorities in due time, the Philippines could be known as a nest, haven, or lair of internationally imported criminals who affect negatively the peace and tranquil of the country.

*** V - POGO CAN BE A FRONT OF CHINA IN SPYING.

We know the truth that China was once upon a time the Philippines' enemy prior to the ascension of President Rodrigo Duterte to Malacanang, the president may not have given state security secrets of the Philippines to the Chinese, so that the Chinese have to take steps in discovering the said top state security secrets of the former in any way and one of the ways in unearthing the security secrets of the state by the Chinese Military Intelligence officers is via POGOs. The Chinese Military Intelligence officers or operatives of China's Peoples Liberation Army are probably using the POGOs to camouflage their sleuthing/s against the Philippines by disguising as POGO workers when in truth and in fact, they are probably spying against the Philippines to the detriment of the latter.

*** VI - THE CHINESE POGO WORKERS ARE COMPETITORS AGAINST WOULD BE FILIPINO WORKERS AS REGARDS JOB OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE PHILIPPINES.

The POGO operation/s would have helped the jobless Filipinos who are looking for jobs, but such online gaming industry is being permitted by the Philippine government to operate within its territory without giving jobs to its citizens. One of the provisions of the New Labor Code of the Philippines provides, that for the Labor Department or its bureau concerned for the issuance of AEPs or the Alien Employment Permits, there shall be no Filipino worker who would not be suited for the job otherwise the job shall be given to a foreigner, hence the issuance of the AEPs. In conjunction to this, there is/are no assurance/s that there is/are no Filipino/s who can technically operate the machines of the POGO/s or cannot really work for the POGO/s in any capacity and because of this the POGO/s is/are actually denying job opportunities to the citizens of the land where it/they is/are operating.

In view of the foregoing premises and arguments, it is very clear like the sun rises in the east and sets in the west that the POGO industry has done so much harm than good with regard to the national interest of the Republic of the Philippines, thus be frowned upon and be rejected by the state or its leader's corollary to fair play, equality, and equanimity.