Rep. Yap defends call to resume POGO operations

ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Go Yap on Thursday defended his call for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to resume their businesses on a work-from-home scheme, saying that he was only thinking of the revenues that the government may get from them.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, Yap, formerly the chair of the House Committee on Games and Amusements, said that he made such call only as a suggestion in order for the government to earn revenues, which could be used in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to him, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) earns around P500 million in license tax from POGOs.

"Nasaan itong mga China man na ito na walang trabaho? Nandirito sa Pilipinas, naka-quarantine, nasa condo nila, hindi nakakalabas. After nun, wala na tayong kinikitang P500 million every month," he said.

"Ang iniisip ko lang, kesa nandirito rin yung mga China man na yan, hindi pa naman pinapauwi, might as well mag-work from home sila para kumita yung PAGCOR ng P500 million at maitulong sa mga kababayan nating Pilipino," he added.

Yap clarified that the employment of the Chinese POGO workers was not what he had in mind in making such a proposal.

"Ang naisip ko dito yung P500 million na puwedeng gamitin na pangkain ng mga kababayan nating walang trabaho dahil sa ECQ (enhanced community quarantine)," he said.

The lawmaker also said he had already asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue before to close down POGOs that do not pay their respective taxes.

"May mga sinasabing hindi nagbabayad. Noong tayo ay chair ng Games and Amusement, every hearing natin ay puro pauwiin at isara ang mga hindi nagbabayad [ang sinasabi natin diyan]," Yap said.

In an earlier media briefing, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that while the matter has not been discussed yet, the reopening of POGOs is part of what President Rodrigo Duterte has to decide on.

“May mga industriya na dapat buksan —industriya na low-risk sa population pero high-impact to the economy. Ang POGO kabahagi po ‘yan ng industriya na nagbibigay ng cash resource sa ating pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng buwis,” Roque said.

The presidential spokesperson said POGOs may resume operations provided that social distancing or work-from-home measures are observed.

PAGCOR chairman Andrea Domingo said the POGO industry has remitted more than P20 billion since it began operations in the country in 2019.

In 2019, the Bureau of Internal Revenue collected P6.42 billion in taxes from POGOs. --KBK, GMA News