“With the hesitancy of the Marcos administration in totally banning POGOs, it does seem the country is indeed so desperate for POGO money at all costs”
The conundrum over who said it or not, and whether or not there was a promise made by the Philippines to tow away that rusty BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal)—China insists there was really a vow to get rid of that vessel with the standoff between the Philippines over the shoal – is fast becoming funny and even laughable.
The entire brouhaha, Santa Banana, started with the column of my favorite columnist in another newspaper that it was former President Erap Estrada who made that promise or vow to have the BRP towed away to settle the row over Ayungin Shoal, called internationally Second Thomas Shoal, between China and the Philippines.
But, the two senator sons of Erap – Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito both denied it. Columnist Rigoberto Tiglao came out with his column confirming that Erap did really make that promise and vow.
Not to be outdone, Tiglao’s fellow columnist Kit Tatad joined the fray and further worsened the conundrum.
The debate could have been readily solved if there was a direct and written proof such a promise or vow truly existed after a spokesman of the National Security Council said what China was claiming was “just a figment of their imagination.”
Then this was followed by another statement that China was using a psycho war and that some “operatives” were being used against the Philippines.
Who really did it or not is no longer an issue after no less than President Marcos Jr. stated “at this moment I rescind it.”
Thus for all intents and purposes, the conundrum should end there, period, Santa Banana!
If only to show how important the Ayungin Shoal is to the Philippines, it is well within the 130 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone within the continental shelf of the country that China is claiming to be part of its territory.
Of course, China is relying on its historical map and its mythical nine-dash line that had been ruled by the Arbitral Court to be illegal when the country went to the Hague to protest it, and to get rid of that rusted BRP Sierra Madre would in effect admit that China really owns Ayungin and is part of its territory.
That’s how crucial Ayungin Shoal is to the Philippines and it was precisely because of that that the government had grounded the BRP Sierra Madre.
But, as I said, that conundrum about who or what was said that the Philippines would tow away the BRP Sierra Madre was fast becoming a big joke after the statement of BBM.
And it would do well for people just to stop the debate.
What I’m really afraid of is that we Filipnos cannot even agree on whether or not there was such a promise or vow to give way to China to take over Ayungin Shoal, from my point of view, a score for China over the Battle of Ayungin Shoal.
China’s President Xi Jinping must be laughing at us.
Privatization
Alejandro (Al) Tengco made a lot of sense when he revealed during the budget hearings the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) should be privatized.
PAGCOR operates 45 casinos nationwide.
Tengco said it does not make sense that PAGCOR as the regulator of gaming should operate those 45 casinos.
I have been wondering why a gaming government agency also has gaming casinos nationwide.
It is perhaps only in the Philippines where you find a government regulator issuing licenses for the approval of casinos also operating casinos. It is unethical, Santa Banana!
It would do well to know how PAGCOR started during the incumbency of then strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
I knew the Philippines became a good hunting ground for gaming operators before Martial Law.
And when Martial Law was declared in 1972, the father of BBM named his own people as gambling operators.
And to regulate the operations of gaming, the PAGCOR was created.
That eventually led to gambling operators to leave the country, but PAGCOR continued to exist as a source of revenue for the country’s sports, medical needs, schools and the like, my gulay.
At that time, PAGCOR already had some 45 casinos nationwide, which became very profitable.
Records show that the total income of PAGCOR rose to P58.96 billion in 2022 from P35.48 billion in 2021.
Records also show that PAGCOR’s total contributions to nation-building rose to P34.67 billion in 2022 from P22.92 billion in 2021.
According to records, in the first half of this year 2023, the total income it generated was already P36.21 billion and its total income is expected to be P75.49 billion.
While there are those who say that “why privatize when PAGCOR lays the golden egg?” But in effect, being a government regulator operating 45 casinos is truly unethical.
Probationary status
It is well to note the government lost P2.2 billion during the past administration when a POGO or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator just closed shop and all its Chinese officers and workers just disappeared and left the country just like that, without paying their taxes and license fees.
Santa Banana, that’s a lot of money.
This was revealed during the deliberations on the budget of PAGCOR.
Once again, the government became the victim of POGO scams, my gulay!
As a result, PAGCOR chairman and executive officers had placed all 32 POGOs under “probationary status” from August 1 to September 14.
In other words, all existing POGOs must now have to reapply for new licenses, otherwise they are considered illegal.
Well, that’s one way of getting rid of POGOs, an activity China itself considers illegal, and they are flourishing in the Philippines, with all the social costs they are giving the country when criminal syndicates from Mainland China have made the country their playground by kidnapping other Chinese officers and workers of POGOs for ransom often torturing them.
It’s for this reason why there have been clamor from Filipinos just to ban POGOs totally.
And yet, the government appears hesitant to ban POGOs because of money reasons and all the revenue the government gets from them.
Santa Banana, the hesitance of the government to ban POGOS has raised the question: Is the country so desperate for revenue from an activity considered by China as illegal?
With the hesitancy of the Marcos administration in totally banning POGOs, it does seem the country is indeed so desperate for POGO money at all costs, my gulay!
The Makati-Taguig turf war
Following the tension with public schools opening on August 29, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte had the DepEd take over the 14 “embos” public schools, which used to be within the jurisdiction of Makati, but which the Supreme Court ruled as part of Taguig City.
These “embos” of enlisted men barrios are thickly populated and are known to be pro-Binay.
With the take-over by the DepEd and with the opening of public schools on the 29th, it is hoped the Makati-Taguig turf war will simmer down.
But, I don’t think it will since some 30,000 public school students had expected Makati Mayor Abby Binay to give free uniforms, sneakers, leather shoes, lunch boxes and other perks and benefits.
Binay had sought a writ of execution from the High Court, but Taguig had resisted, insisting the takeover by Taguig of the 14 “embos” public schools did not need a writ.
In taking over the public schools of the 14 “embos,” Duterte mandated the DepEd to promote every Filipino’s right to accessible, equitable and quality education and as such, the DepEd must provide a safe and enabling environment to students, teachers and personnel, thus placing the “embo” schools under the direct supervision of the Schools Division Office of both Taguig and Makati.
The turf war will at least give way for the August 29 opening of schools.
The Philippine National Police has been ordered to ensure the strict implementation of the DepEd directive.