MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has maintained that all forms of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) are officially banned in the Philippines.

The president issued the clarification on Monday as he addressed concerns over his executive order formalizing the POGO ban.

“It's the nature of the operation we are banning, it's not because it is under (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.) PAGCOR or not,” Marcos Jr. said in an ambush interview.

“Basta’t sinabi basta POGO ‘yan, basta't ganyan ang lisensya nila, it's banned,” he asserted.

Earlier, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros questioned the alleged loopholes in EO 74’s coverage, citing a section that “excludes online games of chance conducted in PAGCOR-operated casinos, licensed casinos, or integrated resorts with junket agreements”.

“Ibig sabihin ba nito, pwede magpatakbo ng POGO sa mga casino gaya ng City of Dreams? Gaya ng Fontana? O kahit sa mga resorts na may mga casino sa loob?” the lawmaker said in a statement on Nov. 9.

She also underscored the need to pass a law for a “meaningful, clear, unequivocal, and comprehensive ban.”

However, Marcos Jr. believes otherwise.

“The EO is sufficient,” he noted.

Marcos issues EO officially banning POGOs