A party-list congressman has urged the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. to issue a Gaming Employment License identification cards to all foreigners working for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators so that they can be properly documented and protected at all times from extortionists.
Party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong of Ang Probinsyano, vice chairperson of the House of Representatives' Committee on Games and Amusements, said that at present, PAGCOR issues GEL to gaming industry employees except for those working in POGOs who are mostly Chinese nationals.
Ong added that the GEL that are being issued at a cost of P4,000 per individual are mere certificates and not physical IDs which can help immigration and law enforcement personnel distinguish those who are licensed and those who are not.
Ong said that PAGCOR should extend giving GEL to POGO personnel and also issue wearable and machine-readable IDs for them for proper identification especially now that “they are practically everywhere.”
Ong suggested that GEL IDs for POGO personnel should contain their BID number, Tin Number, picture, birthday, employment name and address of their office and their temporary residence.
“These POGO personnel can be seen practically everywhere that there are even instances where you would think that you are in China. I think that through PAGCOR, these POGO employees should be fully documented and identified not only for the good of the country but also for their own protection. Anyway, I understand that they already charge at least P4,000 for the GEL,” Ong said.
Prior to securing the GEL ID, Ong said that POGO employees need to pass an online exam which will also include proper behavior in the Philippines, as he noted a rising occurrence of Chinese nationals behaving very badly especially when drunk.
Apart from mere identification, Ong said that these GEL cards will also protect POGO workers from extortion, harassment and other schemes by both fake and real immigration and law enforcement officers.
“They could simply show their IDs if they are being accosted for overstaying or other visa violations,” Ong said.
Apart from allowing the government to properly monitor the increasing number of POGO employees in the country, the issuance of these GEL IDs would also help the Bureau of Internal Revenue in its tax mapping for the POGO sector.
“We are allowing these POGOs to operate here because we want more revenues and not because we simply want these Chinese people to come here in the Philippines. They come here to work so they should also pay taxes as everyone else,” Ong said.