MANILA, Philippines – Tahasang sinabi ni Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers na panahon na upang tapusin ang pamamayagpag ng ilang POGO na pinamumugaran ng mga Chinese syndicates sa bansa na nauugnay sa iba’t ibang krimen at karahasan.
Kaugnay nito ay umapela si Barbers kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na aksyunan ang panawagan ng mga mambabatas na ngayon ay nagrereklamo na rin sa laban sa pamumugad ng POGO sa bansa.
“POGOs are banned in China, yet we continue to give them safe haven and sanctuary in our country. Worse, criminal syndicates only use these POGOs as fronts for their gruesome and illegal activities.”
Ikinababahala pa ng mambabatas ang mga balitang ang mga establisyimentong ito ay gumagastos upang suhulan ang ilang empleyado at opisyal ng gobyerno upang makapanatili ngunit unti-unting sumisira sa lipunan.
“It is time to put an end to this nightmare. As we commemorate our Independence Day,I am hopeful that the President will heed the call of the legislators and their constituents who continue to fall victims to these illegal establishments whose unexplained resources are obviously being used to bribe our government employees and officials, sowing chaos and destroying our society and our nation’s morality,” giit pa ni Barbers.
Pakiusap pa ng mambabatas na huwag sanang pumayag ang gobyerno na mawasak ng POGO ang kaugalian ng mga Pinoy at dapat na itong ipagbawal bago pa man mahuli ang lahat.
“There is no redeeming value in POGOs. We should not waste a minute more in closing them, totally and completely. Like a gangrenous toe, we should cut it from our body before it kills us. Let us not allow our gains as a free republic to be destroyed by an alien culture of crime and gambling. If we love our country, we should break free from the bondage that is POGO,” ayon kay Barbers. Meliza Maluntag
