PAGCOR should require GEL IDs for POGO workers before resuming operations, says Salceda

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) should require offshore gaming hub workers under the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) to secure Gaming Employment License or GEL IDs before resuming their operations.

Salceda, chairman of the House ways and means committee, said the issuance of GEL IDs would help the government track which POGOs are “legitimate” and are thus capable of paying proper taxes.

“There is no problem with the resumption of POGOs so long as the PAGCOR would require workers to have a Gaming Employment License or GEL IDs,” said Salceda.

Each GEL ID must contain the worker’s taxpayer identification number (TIN) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) work permit number, among other key details of POGO workers, according to Salceda.

POGO employees—vast majority of whom are Chinese nationals—must undergo “a cultural seminar where in they will be thought how to behave in the Philippines” according to Salceda, wherein they will be given a certification before the issuance of GEL ID.

“Hindi yun bastos sila. They shouldn’t be disrespectful,” the Albay solon noted alluding to reports of rowdy behavior from Chinese POGO workers since last year.

Salceda earlier stressed that said that the resumption of POGO operations can provide cash flow for the government which is direly needed in the war against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salceda estimated that the monthly tax take from POGOs could reach as high as P2 billion if they are allowed to resume operations.

In response to the persisting threat of the deadly and highly contagious disease, Salceda also asked POGO employers to ensure that their workers be properly tested first.

“Each POGO employer needs to submit a clearance that they went through testing and that they are COVID-free,” said Salceda.

The clamor for GEL IDs or any sort of monitoring mechanism for POGO workers grew late last year following the foreigners’ involvement in various crimes such as kidnapping and prostitution.

House committee on games and amusement vice chair Ronnie Ong (Ang Probinsyano Party-list) bared last December that PAGCOR was supposed to roll out GEL IDs in January 2020.

Meanwhile, Salceda believes that POGOs will be allowed to operate again eventually, “because they’re not illegal.”

“The question at hand is, if the promise is government revenue, ‘how do we get more out of the industry?” he said.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)