logo
Escudero on online gambling: It cannot go on this way

Escudero on online gambling: It cannot go on this way

GMA Network3 days ago
Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Monday committed that the proposed Senate measures seeking either a total ban or strict regulation of online gambling in the Philippines will be discussed in plenary.
'Kung ipinagbawal nga natin ang POGO kaugnay ng pagsusugal ng dayuhan, hindi ba dapat lalo 'yung pagsusugal na Pilipino mismo? Definitely, it cannot go on this way,' Escudero said in an ambush interview.
(If we banned POGO that is connected with foreign gambling, shouldn't we prohibit gambling among Filipinos themselves all the more? Definitely, it cannot go on this way.)
'Three bills or four bills have been filed to either ban or regulate Philippine inland gaming. We will pursue those bills and make sure that they lead to a floor debate and plenary vote on the matter,' he added.
In March, Escudero called for a review of Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs), expressing concerns over their impact on Filipinos following the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
He warned that while POGOs have been shut down, some may have simply rebranded as PIGOs to continue operations. He thus urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to conduct a thorough and transparent review of PIGOs to assess their true costs and benefits.
Several lawmakers have included in their priority bills for the 20th Congress the legislation for the total ban of online gambling in the country, while some are only pushing for restricting access to it.
As for the Executive, Malacañang said that President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. will study the calls to ban online gambling.
''Ang mga pagpapasyang ganito po ay talagang pinag-aaralan kung ito ba'y makakaapekto sa ekonomiya, makaapekto sa mamamayan at hindi po tayo maaring magpadalos-dalos po dito,'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said.
(Decisions like this are being studied to see if they will affect the economy, affect the people, and we cannot rush this.)
''Dahil minsan po, kapag po mismo ang legal at license ng mga online gaming sites ang iyong iba-ban, mas dumadami ang mga illegal na online gaming sites at iyan po ay mas nakakaapekto sa ekonomiya, so pinag-aaralan po iyan ng Pangulo,'' she added.
(Because sometimes, when you ban legal and licensed online gaming sites, the number of illegal online gaming sites increases and that has a greater impact on the economy, so the President is studying that.) —LDF, GMA Integrated News
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Lee says Korea a reliable partner of PH amid global instability
Lee says Korea a reliable partner of PH amid global instability

GMA Network

time25 minutes ago

  • GMA Network

Lee says Korea a reliable partner of PH amid global instability

'This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Korean War. We will never forget that the Philippines was the first Asian nation to send combat troops in 1950—ultimately more than 7,000 strong,' Lee said. Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-Hwa said his country is a reliable partner of the Philippines, recalling the Philippines' role in Korea's history as the first country in Asia to send combat troops to the Korean War in 1950. At a luncheon he hosted for members of the Philippine media earlier this week, Lee said, 'Korea knows what solidarity means.' 'This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Korean War. We will never forget that the Philippines was the first Asian nation to send combat troops in 1950—ultimately more than 7,000 strong,' Lee said. 'Because our bond was forged in the crucible of war, it is natural that Korea stands as a reliable partner of the Philippines, particularly when we face deepening global instability, one that is fraught with fragmentation and uncertainty,' he added. 'As fellow maritime nations, we share an abiding interest in peace and stability, as well as upholding a rules-based order in the South China Sea and beyond,' Lee said. Oliver Victor B. Amoroso, Senior Vice President and Head of GMA Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy; and Reina Anne S. Dimapawi, Assistant Vice President and Deputy Head of Integrated News Operations, attended the luncheon. Lee thanked the Philippine government, the Filipino people, and the media 'for the trust you have shown in the resilience of Korea's democracy.' 'As you know, Korea has come through a period of domestic uncertainty following the declaration of martial law last December,' Lee said. 'With the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung's new government, stability has been restored across the board. We believe this renewed confidence at home will translate into fresh momentum in our 76-year-old ties,' he added. Lee said that after the Philippines-Korea Free Trade Agreement came into force in December, Korea has topped the list of foreign investors based on PEZA-approved projects. 'We expect even more good news in the months ahead as businesses act on the new opportunities unlocked by the FTA and the Philippines' CREATE MORE Act,' Lee said. Lee said the two countries' defense cooperation also continued to grow with the Korean-built frigate—the BRP Miguel Malvar—getting commissioned in May. 'And with the 12 additional FA-50 fighter aircraft contracted in June, this active defense cooperation will help modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines,' Lee said. Lee said the Filipinos and Koreans also feel their connection through culture. 'Korean culture continues to bring our communities closer. I am glad that Filipinos enthusiastically streamed the latest Squid Game season and embraced the animated hit K-Pop Demon Hunters,' Lee said. 'Building on that excitement, the Korean Cultural Center is hosting 'Step Into the World of K-Pop Demon Hunters' from 18 July to 4 August,' he added. ' I encourage all of you to visit and try on the iconic gat (let me show you this), and create traditional maedeup knots and paint your own Magpie-and-Tiger folk art piece. It's a fun, hands-on way to experience Korea's creative spirit,' Lee said. –NB, GMA Integrated News

Marcos, Congress deliver laws on seas, investments
Marcos, Congress deliver laws on seas, investments

GMA Network

time2 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Marcos, Congress deliver laws on seas, investments

A year ago, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on his allies in Congress to pass four measures, aside from the 2025 national budget, during his third State of the Nation Address. These were the Maritime Zones bill, Archipelagic Sea Lanes bill, Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) bill and amendments to the Electric Power Industry and Reform Act (EPIRA). Of the four, three bills were signed into law. The Maritime Zones law provides that the Philippines exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over its internal waters, territorial sea archipelagic waters, and the airspace over it, including its seabed and subsoil as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. The Archipelagic Sea Lanes law allows the President to identify the archipelagic sea lanes and air routes that the foreign vessels and aircraft can use, the obligations and prohibitions in using the sea lanes, and penalizes the operators of water and air assets for any loss or damage suffered by the Philippines or any third party due to non-compliance with the provisions of the law The CREATE More law aims to increase the investment capital approval threshold for the country's Investment Promotion Agencies from P1 billion to P15 billion pesos. It also seeks to exempt certain goods and services such as janitorial, security, financial consultancy, marketing, and human resources from value-added tax. The President's pitch for the bill amending the EPIRA law to bring down electricity costs, however, did not gain steam in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Higher electricity bills were felt in March since the Energy Regulatory Commission approved a higher feed-in tariff rate. House spokesperson Princess Abante said the President's priority legislations will be known after he delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, but the President's cousin and presumptive Speaker, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, already vowed support for legislations that would make the P20 per kilo rice sustainable by filing the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act. The proposed RICE Act authorizes the state-run National Food Authority to buy palay at competitive prices, manage buffer stocks, and directly sell affordable rice to consumers during periods of price volatility. The way forward in pushing for the President's priority legislation, however, does not get any easier halfway into his administration. For one, only five of the President's 11-strong Senate slate won in the midterm polls. Congress will also have to deal with the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, an ally turned foe of Marcos. But for Dr. Jennifer Oreta, dean of the Ateneo School of Government, Marcos will rise and fall based on how he communicates the government's programs and makes the reforms palpable to the public, regardless of the political noise. 'Remember, the performance of the Duterte candidates during the last elections was also not very good. The breakup of the Uniteam affected both. So I don't think the Vice President's impeachment trial is a make-or-break type of situation for the administration, if it plays its cards well,' Oreta told GMA News Online in a Zoom interview. 'I would say it is the President's decisiveness and political will that the people need to see. People need to see that this government is actually bent on delivering results, whether that is in the form of legislation or in the form of impeachment [conviction] of Vice President Duterte. Hindi kasi masyadong nakikita at nararamdaman ng mga tao yung political will ng administration,' Oreta pointed out. (As it is, people hardly see and feel the political will of the administration.) Oreta said that such a disconnect with the public's perception was something that Marcos himself recognized when he ordered that all his appointees render a courtesy resignation, making the revamp more crucial in his last three years in office. 'It's actually the biggest shakedown in the Executive branch, and a first post-EDSA [People Power Revolution] in 1986. It was a massive shakeup, and until now, we are waiting on how this will play out. Will it actually re-energize the bureaucracy in terms of service delivery, in terms of legislation?' the Ateneo dean said. 'If he is able to appoint the right people who can help him steer the administration in the right direction, that will actually improve the government's performance and perception of the people. But the other danger of this shake-up is that, if the President appoints traditional politicians that would help him deliver the victory for the 2028 elections, especially in the vote-rich will have an effect on the public perception towards the administration,' Oreta added. —LDF/RSJ/NB, GMA Integrated News

Consumer groups urge tech-driven steps vs. illegal online gambling
Consumer groups urge tech-driven steps vs. illegal online gambling

GMA Network

time2 hours ago

  • GMA Network

Consumer groups urge tech-driven steps vs. illegal online gambling

'You shut one site today, and another one replaces it tomorrow. We need smarter systems that proactively detect and stop these operations before they reach consumers. This is not just a gambling issue—it's a cybersecurity issue,' Sison said. Consumer advocacy groups on Thursday called on the government to adopt smarter and technology-driven measures to combat illegal online gambling instead of prohibiting its operations. In a news release, Bantay Konsyumer, Kalsada, Kuryente, and Konsyumer at Mamamayan warned that an outright ban may only force legitimate gaming platforms to operate underground. 'Public concerns about the dangers of gambling are valid,' Atty. Karry Sison, BK3 Convenor, said. 'But banning online gambling outright won't solve the problem. Many of these sites operate offshore and beyond the reach of our laws, continuing to spread harmful software and steal user data,'' Sison added. The group emphasized the need for stronger digital regulation that is supported by advanced governance tools, instead of blanket prohibitions, which may later lead to more harmful and untraceable underground gambling activities. 'You shut one site today, and another one replaces it tomorrow. We need smarter systems that proactively detect and stop these operations before they reach consumers. This is not just a gambling issue—it's a cybersecurity issue,' Sison said. Both BK3 and KM expressed concern over unregulated gambling sites ''becoming gateways to fraud, exploitation, and other forms of criminal activity due to the lack of oversight.'' For his part, KM Convenor Danilo Lorenzo 'Ren' De Los Santos pointed to the potential of digital financial tools, particularly e-wallets, in tracking and disrupting suspicious behavior linked to online gambling. 'E-wallets are used by millions of Filipinos every day. With the proper regulatory framework, these tools can identify red flags like frequent betting, underage users, or unusual account activity,' De Los Santos said. 'Technology can empower our regulators to respond faster and more effectively,'' he added. Several lawmakers have included in their priority bills for the 20th Congress the legislation for the total ban of online gambling in the country, while some are only pushing for restricting access to it. As for the Executive, Malacañang said that President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. will study the calls to ban online gambling. –NB, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store