Marcos ban on POGOs draws cheers, warning at SONA

The Manila Times

Marcos ban on POGOs draws cheers, warning at SONA  The audience at the Batasang Pambansa session hall cheer President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after he declares a total ban on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) during his State of the Nation Address on July 22, 2024. Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, chairman of the ways and means committee of the House of Representatives, said however that the ban was an 'executive discretion' and warned that the country could lose money.  Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo answers questions from the media on the issue.   Video by Red Mendoza and Reina C. Tolentino  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net     Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook   Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram   Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter   DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion     Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital     Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify   Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts   Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic   Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #themanilatimes  #philippines #mmda #pogo #stateofthenationaddress #bbm

Transcript

00:00Now, we are hearing the loud cry of the people of our country.

00:10Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming,

00:18such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder.

00:25The grave abuse of this despicable system of laws must stop.

00:30This chaos must be stopped in our society.

00:35As of today, all laws are banned.

01:36The government, in coordination with our economic managers,

01:41shall use the time between now and then to find new jobs for our countrymen who will be needed.

01:47Our men need nothing more to compass their enemies than that good men should look on and do nothing.

01:55He is not a good man.

02:05He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name.

02:35We will always love the Philippines. We will always love the Philippines.

02:42Long live the Philippines!

03:05I hope they find a way of banning POGO without having to affect the IGLs.

03:33The IGLs?

03:35I'll show you an IGL.

03:37Here.

03:39Anybody can play this.

03:41Here.

03:43This is an IGL.

03:51Internet gaming.

03:53Well, it's everywhere.

03:55It's still not allowed.

03:57Wait, sir. What about the stand?

03:59Ban POGO?

04:01No, no, no.

04:03I said, well, of course, IGLs are legitimate.

04:09So I just hope that they will find a way, a technical way, of differentiating

04:15POGOs and IGLs.

04:17IGLs.

04:19To differentiate the illegal from the legal POGO.

04:25The legitimate IGL and the entire POGO system.

04:31Some of which are very legitimate.

04:35Well, at least China is happy.

04:39First of all, I'm sure he clarified this to Alteno.

04:44Because it's too big. 43 billion.

04:47Second, that was really virtually societal, universal, misunderstanding of legality.

04:57Do you think the President was fed the wrong info?

04:59I don't know.

05:01But it's all over the newspapers.

05:03They actually put it in the words of BBM about the POGOs.

05:06Well, we are very overwhelmed, no?

05:08The President presented a very well-written, a very sincere, state-of-the-nation address.

05:14Which really appealed to the thoughts and minds of the people.

05:16The POGOs, we really saw the President's indecisiveness.

05:20And we'd like to congratulate the President for making such a decision.

05:23And we're hopeful, no?

05:24That all the other agencies of government will all cooperate

05:27in making sure that the President's orders are carried out.

05:30Aren't you afraid that we'll run out of funds because of using these POGOs?

05:38At the expense of what?

05:39At the expense of the welfare of our children.

05:41At the expense of security.

05:43At the expense of safety of our communities.

05:46I don't think that's a price that we're willing to pay.

05:49First of all, I'd like to thank the President.

05:51He listened to what our fellow countrymen said.

05:56That POGOs should be banned because of crime.

06:00Everything is already here.

06:01Torture, human trafficking.

06:03And he said it very well.

06:05So that our country can return to peace.

06:12Funds are not that big.

06:14POGOs will disappear when we don't feel it.

06:17And we'll replace it with smaller businesses.

06:21It's a bit shocking.

06:23Yes.

06:24What do you say about the suspicion of POGOs?

06:28Well, first of all, everything was covered.

06:32Including me, as chairman of education,

06:36we have a bill here on career progression.

06:39Which is what he, in fact, mentioned.

06:42But we also know, as you mentioned,

06:44in POGOs and the West Philippine Sea,

06:46we can see the pulse of the people.

06:51So it's funny.

06:53And that's what I'm going to talk about.

06:55And the President, at least,

06:57he's listening to the pulse of the people.

07:00And he saw what it is.

07:02And he supported it.

07:04I think it's a very important quality for a leader.

07:09Lastly, Secretary Angara is there.

07:13And of course, he also laid out plans

07:18and marching orders for Secretary Angara.

07:21What do you say about the programs of education

07:25that BBM mentioned?

07:26Do you think Secretary Angara will do this?

07:29Well, first of all, he mentioned teacher career progression.

07:32We have a bill here in Congress.

07:34It is about to pass.

07:36In fact, Secretary Angara,

07:38he's part also of EDCOM 2.

07:40He also knows that.

07:41In fact, I'm very happy that it's Secretary Angara

07:44for the simple reason that he also knows the challenges.

07:47And it would be easy now for him to implement that

07:51once it is passed into law.

07:53And the reforms that are needed,

07:55Secretary Angara also knows that.

07:57And obviously, the President,

07:59from his first sauna up to today,

08:01he keeps on speaking about, talking about education.

08:04And I think that is very important.

08:06Because at least the people can see that

08:08we are really focused on quality education.

08:11And with Secretary Angara at the helm,

08:13being part of EDCOM 2,

08:15I'm actually confident that these reforms will be implemented.

08:19So let's help each other.

08:21Reforms are not easy.

08:22That's why we have to help them.

08:24Thank you.

08:25Thank you.

08:26Take care.

08:28I knew you were going to ask that.

08:37Yes, indeed.

08:43Well,

08:51This is a major national policy.

08:58But this is a big surprise.

09:02Where we saw that our President is a listening president.

09:07And he heard the cry of the people.

09:10Most are calling that this is a ban.

09:13So I am elated.

09:15I would say I'm very, very happy that this policy was passed.

09:19I know there will be negatives about it,

09:22the fund and all.

09:24What can you say about it?

09:25Well, of course,

09:26just like the sectors that are saying not to ban,

09:31because they have justification.

09:35That's what we're talking about, the fund.

09:37But the fund that we are running here cannot meet the social cost.

09:45Where crime is increasing,

09:47drug incidents are increasing,

09:52kidnapping,

09:53and all kinds of crimes related to the existence of POGO.

09:59The criminal acts that were committed.

10:04The ramifications of the POGO ban is, of course, the economy.

10:09Some are saying to boost the economy.

10:11What can you say about it?

10:12That's not true.

10:13We're just talking about seven buildings.

10:15The people who are dying are heavier.

10:18The people who are poor are heavier.

10:20If you look at the POGO facility,

10:23more than 80% of the people who work there are not Filipinos.

10:25They're all mindsick.

10:26So, it's not a big loss to our economy.

10:29But what about the Filipinos who work there?

10:32It's just a few.

10:33They'll find a way.

10:34Are you sure the PDM will find a way?

10:36I'm very sure they'll find a way.

10:39Define SONA 2024 in one word.

10:41Very good.

10:42Very good.

10:44Thank you, sir.

10:45What's your decision?

10:48Well, of course,

10:50the ramifications are still there.

10:52Let's start with the ramifications

10:54regarding the value of the political system.

10:56The government's income comes first.

10:59What do you say about this one?

11:00Well, I think the decision there

11:02shows that the income is not that big

11:06compared to the damage to the youth

11:10and the image of the country.

11:12So, I think that's the real factor.

11:15And if there are thousands of people

11:17who will be displaced,

11:18let's say 20,000 or 30,000,

11:20the President said that he'll find a solution.

11:23It can be BPO or other aspects.

11:27I'm confident that it can be fixed

11:30if there's a loss of jobs.

11:31But if there's a loss of jobs,

11:34the image of the country

11:37that we'll get from different sectors

11:41when we make a wrong decision,

11:43that's a good thing

11:44because I think we'll have more investors

11:47because of his decision.

11:51What do you think of his decision?

11:55West Philippine Sea,

11:57Farm to Market Holds,

12:00what do you think of his decision?

12:03For me, 9 out of 10.

12:06First of all,

12:08he discussed the price of rice.

12:11That's what people are waiting for.

12:13He's head-on discussing the price of rice.

12:17Then, in the middle and the end,

12:19he's still talking about rice.

12:20He's assuring that he'll make women do everything.

12:23He feels the need of the people

12:25when it comes to raising the price

12:26because raising the price

12:27has a world market effect.

12:29But as a President,

12:30he's trying to find a way.

12:31So, for me, 9 out of 10.

12:32You can see the standard of vision

12:34that it's not just ordinary

12:36since the West Philippine Sea

12:37is owned by the Philippines.

12:41If we're going to fight this,

12:43as a Filipino,

12:45it's a good feeling to be a Filipino.

12:49So, in terms of your vision,

12:51what do you think of his vision

12:53and what the best strategy is?

12:55Well, what he said,

12:57if it's a campaign promise,

12:58it's a good goal.

13:01But in order to reach that goal,

13:03I think it needs to be lowered.

13:05From what he said,

13:06from P50 to P60,

13:08lower it by P50,

13:09less than P40,

13:10then later, less than P30.

13:12I think that's on track.

13:14I'd like to ask,

13:15what's your reaction to this?

13:18It's good that the President knows the problems.

13:21The problems in agriculture

13:23are good because he knows what he's doing.

13:26Even though we're hoping

13:28that the plan is more comprehensive

13:30in the fishing industry,

13:32in the fishermen,

13:34especially since our secretary

13:36is from there,

13:37but he mentioned the fishing port

13:39and the fingerlings.

13:41So, this is a potential.

13:43But it's good because he said

13:46that the Kadiwa Center,

13:48which we're really fighting for,

13:50that it can be established,

13:52institutionalized,

13:53he mentioned this.

13:55The post-harvest facility,

13:57I'm hoping that he mentioned

13:59that he will give a condo,

14:01but even though he mentioned

14:03the 900,000 farm machineries

14:05that were given by the government,

14:07our dream is for all cooperatives

14:09to have their own farm equipments.

14:11I just hope that it's simplified,

14:13streamlined,

14:15the availability of these.

14:17What he said about POGO,

14:19we're 10 over 10 there.

14:21That should be a total ban.

14:24In the West Philippine Sea,

14:25we agree with him

14:27that this is really ours.

14:29The POGO, they're saying goodbye.

14:32Thank you.

14:40Ma'am, but going forward,

14:42do you think

14:44the six months transition

14:46would be enough

14:47for us to, you know,

14:49totally without the POGOs?

14:51Well, I think we should

14:52take the next steps.

14:54I think we should decide

14:55that, hey, why can't we

14:56use the POGOs?

15:07I think it's a very popular decision.

15:10In my district,

15:11there's a POGO facility there

15:13because in my district,

15:15it's a very popular facility.

15:21Do you think the losses

15:22will be offset by gains?

15:26You know, what gains are there

15:27in human trafficking?

15:29What gains are there

15:30in prostitution,

15:31with misdemeanors,

15:32with the internet scam?

15:34Why don't we have POGOs?

15:38Thank you, ma'am.

15:39Thank you.

15:51Thank you.

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