The name of opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros trended on the X (formerly Twitter) platform after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in his third State of the Nation Address.
READ: Marcos orders closure of POGOs
The chief executive on July 22 declared the cessation of POGOs in the country after it proliferated during the previous administration.
“At ngayon po, naririnig po namin ang malakas na sigaw ng tayong bayan laban sa mga POGO,” Marcos said in his SONA.
“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture — even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” he added.
“Kailangan nang itigil ang panggulo nito sa ating lipunan at paglalapastangan sa ating bansa!” Marcos said.
His remarks caused him to receive widespread cheers from the attendees, with some giving him a standing ovation.
ALSO READ: Marcos’ mentions of POGO ban, West Philippine Sea in SONA 2024 cheered
In his SONA, the president also ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to “wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.”
The action caused some online Filipinos to mention Hontiveros, who has been ceaselessly cracking down on POGOs since they came into the country.
“For the first time, Senator Risa Hontiveros stood up and applauded during a Marcos Jr. SONA speech. POGOs are banned. Sen Risa’s work with brave whistleblowers and civil society actors, indeed, deserves applause,” sociologist Athena Presto said.
“I just want to thank this woman who always stands up and looks deeper into what’s more to investigate about POGOS. She deserves my praise for what she has done to awaken the minds of many people. SALAMAT, SEN. RISA HONTIVEROS, AND YOU ARE A TRUE LEADER,” another user wrote.
“Thank you, Sen Risa! Right from the start, you knew where to stand!” a different Pinoy commented.
“Thank you to Sen. Risa who got the ball rolling on this issue. Time to make sure that these POGOs [are] totally eradicated,” wrote another user.
Rights lawyer Chel Diokno also credited the lawmaker for her efforts in probing POGOs.
“Maraming salamat, Sen. Risa! Kung ‘di [niyo] inungkat ang mga POGO, malamang ‘di pa siya na-ban. Dapat may kasabay ang ban — pagpapanagot sa mga salarin AT mga government officials na [kakonchaba] at kumita sa kanila,” he wrote.
The keyword “Sen. Risa” also landed in the top ten Philippine trends list on the X platform on Monday evening.
Hontiveros called the ban a “success for the country.”
“‘Bye, POGO!” she wrote on social media with a waving hand emoji.
‘Bye, POGO! 👋🏼 Tagumpay para sa buong bansa! ✊🏼🇵🇭https://t.co/L4UxKiWf3n
— risa hontiveros (@risahontiveros) July 22, 2024
Her post has earned 46,000 likes, 14,000 reposts and 790 comments in the replies thread so far.
“Bilang tagapangulo ng Senate Committee on Women na nanguna sa imbestigasyon tungkol sa mga krimeng nakakabit sa POGO, hindi ko matatawaran ang saya at ginhawa ng pagpapabawal ng POGO sa bansa,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“POGOs have brought innumerable and unspeakable social ills into the country. I commend the President for his resolute pronouncement,” she added.
The lawmaker said that their Senate hearings “will continue to demand accountability.”
Sen. Win Gatchalian, who has also been calling for the ban on POGOs, said that their Senate hearings about illegal POGOs will continue as they have not yet found the “masterminds” of the activities.
He and Hontiveros have been jointly investigating illegal POGOs in the upper chamber, with the most recent one involving suspended Bamban Mayor Guo Hua Ping (or Alice Guo), who is accused of enabling them in her town.
Meanwhile, Hontiveros said that they will “also continue to ensure” that the Senate “strengthen policies that would prevent industries like POGOs from ever emerging again.”
“Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga victim-survivors, whistleblowers, at government agencies na nakipagtulungan sa aming imbestigasyon sa Senado para mabunyag ang kababalaghang nakapalibot sa POGO. We owe you this victory,” she added.
As early as 2020, Hontiveros filed a Senate resolution urging the prohibition of POGOs in the country, saying that they were a “non-essential business.”
Earlier that year, the lawmaker exposed the sex and human trafficking dens that were allegedly linked to the gaming and amusement industry.
In 2021, the opposition senator once again renewed her call to ban POGOs, stressing their involvement in activities like “illegal recruitment to kidnapping.”
Since then, Hontiveros has been continuously cracking down on POGOs in Senate investigations, with the most recent involving Guo.
The government started regulating POGOs in 2016 under the Duterte administration.
They were initially touted as a source of revenue but have since been associated with illegal activities such as scams, torture and human trafficking.
