E-sabong should be scrutinized like POGOs —Hontiveros

The operations of online sabong or e-sabong should be scrutinized like the Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO), Senator Risa Hontiveros said Monday.

The lawmaker made the remark as she said that e-sabong could be more worse than the POGO industry.

“The urgent matter is siguruhin ang buhay at kaligatasan nitong missing persons and strategically i-subject itong e-sabong sa parehong scrutiny na ginawa namin sa POGO,” Hontiveros said in an ANC interview.

(The urgent matter right now is to ensure that the missing persons are safe and we should strategically subject this e-sabong to the same scrutiny as what we have done with POGOs.)

“I’m glad you pointed out POGO because not all forms of gambling are equal. There may be some that are worst than the others kaya nga umabot ako sa punto na… nanawagan ako na tanggalin ‘yan, itigil ‘yan, pagbayarin sila ng buwis pero paalisin sa Pilipinas,” she added.

(That's why I have arrived to the point that I have called to stop POGOs and have them pay their obligations but they should no longer stay in the Philippines.)

Hontiveros said the stakeholders of e-sabong operations should clear the same issues that were raised against POGOs.

“It’s that same high bar na kailangang i-clear ng mga stakeholders ng e-sabong kasi ‘yon na nga na-establish natin that there are forms of gambling like POGO na hindi natin dapat ipagpatuloy dito sa atin,” she added.

(It's the same high bar that we should clear with the stakeholders of e-sabong because we already established that there are forms of gambling like POGO that we should not continue here in our country.)

The lawmaker said the e-sabong operators should "at the very least establish" that they comply with the Philippine laws and regulations.

On top of this, Hontiveros said the major issue that she is concerned with is the accessibility of online sabong to minors.

“‘Yung akin ding major concern about it, kailangan i-resolve sa tingin ko [is] to childproof e-sabong kasi nga dahil it is no longer required to be present at the scene of the game,” Hontiveros said.

(My major concern about this, the one thing that we resolve is we need to childproof e-sabong because it is no longer required to be present at the scene of the game.)

“I’m concerned na dapat ang mga menor de edad hindi pwedeng nasa pretense of being of legal age na makapag-participate sa ganitong klaseng gaming using their limited allowances,” she added.

(My concern is that the minors should not be in a pretense of being of legal age who can participate in these kinds of gaming activities using their limited allowances.)

The Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee is investigating the disappearance of at least 34 individuals who were allegedly involved in sabong operations.—AOL, GMA News