Philippine senator urges strict enforcement of offshore gaming ban

Senator Risa Hontiveros said operations must not be allowed to ‘rebrand’.

The Philippines.- Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged law enforcement to be strict in imposing the ban on offshore gaming operators and not allow them to ‘rebrand’. She said there were reports offshore gaming operators could become call centres, remain in the special economic zone, and “other hocus-pocus”

Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality and is leading hearings on the illegal activities of offshore gaming operators, said she is determined to hold accountable officials who allowed the operations.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Central Visayas has said that it will increase its monitoring of offshore gaming operators following a raid in a resort in Lapu-Lapu City that led to the rescue of 162 people. The raid on Saturday (August 31) at Tourist Garden Hotel in Barangay Agus followed a request from the Indonesian Embassy to rescue eight of its nationals. Those rescued reportedly comprised 83 Chinese citizens, 70 Indonesians, two Taiwanese, six Burmese and a Malaysian.

See also: PAGCOR to revoke offshore gaming worker permits by year-end