SENATOR Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros-Baraquel on Tuesday scored Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s (Pagcor) failure to collect P2.2 billion in unpaid dues from a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) that had closed shop.
“POGO’s don’t have redeeming qualities anymore,” she said in a statement in Filipino. “Money that should have been collected for the nation has turned into stone.”
The Bureau of Internal Revenue should work with Pagcor in ensuring that the dues are collected, Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares said in a separate statement.
“They don’t only cause chaos, they also steal from the nation’s coffers,” she said in Filipino. “If this POGO is a legitimate company, in the first place, then regulators should have a way of finding it and making it settle its liabilities.” — Norman P. Aquino
