Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee in the Philippines, has said that Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) complying with the law should be allowed to remain in operation for a longer time period. He clarified that illegal POGOs should be closed, however legitimate operators who pay taxes and employee benefits and have invested substantially should not be shut down immediately. Angara has yet to sign a report prepared by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who has recommended POGOs be shut down. Gatchalian presided over a Senate inquiry on the issue and stated the industry “has turned out to be useless.”
