Philippine Senate committee backs bill to ban offshore gaming operators

The Committee on Ways and Means has expressed unanimous support for Bill 2868.

The Philippines.- Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has announced that all members of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means have signed Committee Report 342. The report recommends the approval of Senate Bill 2868, which bans all offshore gaming operators by repealing the Republic Act 11590.

Gatchalian said: “I am delighted to find out that all members of the Committee on Ways and Means signed Committee Report 342, signifying their support for the enactment of the measure.” He expressed confidence that the measure would be ratified before years-end, aligning with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to shut all offshore gaming operators by December.

“Legislating the ban on offshore gaming operators would hopefully bring to an end all the various criminalities spawned by the industry,” Gatchalian pointed out.

Aside from Gatchalian, the senators who signed the committee report are Senators JV Ejercito, Mark Villar, Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Ronald Dela Rosa, Bong Go, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, Migz Zubiri, Risa Hontiveros, Bong Revilla and Cynthia Villar. Ex-officio members of the committee Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Tolentino, and Koko Pimentel also signed.

Gatchalian urges government agencies to work together to shut offshore gaming operators

Earlier this week, Gatchalian called on the government agencies involved in the eradication of offshore gaming operators to work together.

Gatchalian said in a statement: “I call on the Philippine National Police, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Immigration (BI), and other law-enforcement agencies, in coordination with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), to sit down and craft a consolidated approach in our advocacy to end all offshore gaming operator-linked criminalities in the country.

“The absence of unity and coordination among all concerned agencies could potentially weaken our campaign and enable offshore gaming operators to exploit gaps and continue their operations.”

Gatchalian statement comes after the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) criticised the way a raid was conducted on an illegal offshore gambling and scam operator in Ermita, Manila. It said the operation was flawed because foreign suspects arrested during the raid were later reportedly released.