SURIGAO del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers has added his voice to the growing clamor for government to declare POGOs a serious national security threat leading to its total ban in the country due to its proven criminal activities.
Barbers, who in a privilege speech in 2017 first brought to light the nefarious activities by these POGOs, said that nothing has changed since then and as a matter of fact, the criminal activities turned even worse.
Barbers added that China and Chinese legitimate businesses and investors are welcome though, but not the “garbage” that seemed to be being deliberately dumped as if the country is a junkyard for its waste products of illegal gambling, drugs and criminal syndicates.
“These POGOs that are banned in mainland China only brought more crimes and shame to our country. Whatever benefit we got from them is nothing compared to what they have put us in. The social costs keep mounting and no amount of taxes or perceived jobs can outweigh them,” Barbers said.
“These POGOs contributed heavily on the deterioration of our moral fiber. They are fronts to Chinese led criminal syndicates, money-laundering, espionage, cyber hacking, wire tapping, and other illegal activities that gave rise to murder, kidnapping for ransom, rape, prostitution, torture and countless other unspeakable barbaric activities. The worst part is when POGO money is teamed up with drug money and used to bribe our officials to buy their silence and cooperation, put Chinese pretending to be Filipinos to high government positions, buy our agricultural lands to compromise our food security, and extend their influence to all corners of the government infrastructure. POGO politics has complemented narco politics now. If we continue to be blind and refuse to read the writings on the wall, we are doomed,” Barbers said.
The attempt by PAGCOR to deodorize POGO by changing its name is futile and even highlights its negative impacts in our society. No change of name can ever erase its legacy of crimes. POGO by any other name stinks just the same,” Barbers added.
The Mindanao solon calls on the Fil-Chi community to prove their allegiance to the country by making their voices heard on the matter including Chinese involvement in illegal drugs and those happening in the WPS and not just brand as sinophobics those who speak against these Chinese illegal activities.
“If they consider themselves Filipinos and are really and genuinely concerned about the country, they should speak out now. If they choose to keep their peace, then at least we know where they stand,” Barbers said.
“Finally I call on all patriotic Filipinos to join us in cleaning our country of these criminal syndicates involved in illegal drugs and POGO and get our society back from these modern day country snatchers,” Barbers said.
