What is the direction of "spinach" in the Philippines? The affiliated body of the Ministry of Justice is a lawyer for "gambling agencies" and cannot take a firm stand against POGO!

According to Philippine media reports, on November 10, Philippine Senator Sonny Angara said that the Ministry of Justice could not take a firm stand on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Business (POGO) because its affiliate is serving as a lawyer for the Philippine Entertainment Gaming Company (PAGCOR).

During the Senate budget deliberations, Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III (Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III) asked the Justice Department's "individual or institutional" position after Treasury Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced that the Philippines must abolish POGO.

"As I made clear, the position of the (Department of Justice) secretary is that they (POGOs) have to record and be legal at PAGCOR because it is the current policy of the government to crack down on all illegal online bookmakers anyway."

"So I think it covers the Immigration Department, the NBI and so on, because they are the more sensitive agencies in this regard."

Pimentel then said he sensed a difference in the positions of the finance minister and the attorney general. "The Justice Department, the reverse policy makes them all illegal. We have the ability to keep the policy unless we fight against illegality," the minority leader said."

Angara explained that there are institutions under the Ministry of Justice, in particular the Attorney General's Office and the Office of the Legal Counsel of Government Companies, which are "lawyers" for PAGCOR ". PAGCOR is the body that regulates all gambling activities in the country, including POGO.

"They have to respect the current policy of the government... I think in that sense they are just implementing any policy of the government on gambling and gambling."

Angara said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told him the executive branch was waiting for the Senate investigation of the Internet bookmakers to end because they wanted to hear the committee's advice on the matter.

Pimentel points out that the executive branch can reverse existing policies and make investigations meaningless and academic.

But Angara said the executive was "respectful and respectful" to the Senate because there is also an existing law that taxes online bookmakers.