The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Tuesday clarified that it has nothing to do with the issuance of local business permits and licenses to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).
“PAGCOR has nothing to do with the issuance of local business permits and licenses. We are also not responsible for the inspection of buildings that are not under our jurisdiction,” said PAGCOR.
“We issue licenses based on our own guidelines and the documents submitted by applicants,” it added.
PAGCOR took exception to a legal counsel of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo who earlier said her client was implicated, pointing to PAGCOR’s regulatory responsibility to issue permits and licenses, after a POGO hub located in Guo’s town was raided in Tarlac was linked to the public official.
On March 13, authorities raided the 10-hectare POGO hub operated by Zun Yuan Technology Inc. and found several devices said to be linked to POGO operations. Over 600 Filipinos and foreigners were rescued during the raid.
Guo and two other municipal officials were suspended for up to six months by the Office of the Ombudsman after issuing a permit to the operators of the POGO company despite lacking the necessary documents and a provisional license from PAGCOR.
PAGCOR affirmed that it’s only responsible for the issuance of provisional licenses to POGOS.
“PAGCOR’s regulations are clear cut. If our licensees are found violating the terms of their licenses, whether these are provisional licenses or regular licenses, they are severely fined and penalized and, in the most serious cases, the licenses are revoked,” said government owned and operated corporation.
“Aside from monitoring and enforcement of PAGCOR rules, the only role of PAGCOR in the raided illegal facilities in Bamban was the issuance of a provisional license to Zun Yuan Technologies, which had been revoked immediately after the March 13 raid,” it added. —Vince Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News
