Group lobbies Supreme Court to halt Pagcor online licenses

Sunday 12th of March 2017

A lobby group has petitioned the Philippines’ Supreme Court seeking to stop the Phlippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. from issuing online licenses, arguing the permits violate the regulator’s charter and run counter to an executive order to crackdown on internet gambling.

The Anti-Trapo movement also wants to void all the licenses for Philippine Online Gaming Operations (POGO) that Pagcor has already issued, local media reports.

Chairman Leon Peralta said Pagcor violated Section 1 of Republic Act 9847 or the Pagcor Charter b on issuing the licenses.

They added that it is also against the recently issued Executive Order No. 13 (Strengthening the Fight Against Illegal Gambling and Clarifying Jurisdiction and Authority of Concerned Agencies in the Regulation and Licensing of Gambling and Online Gaming Facilities…) by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“PAGCOR’s continued acceptance, processing and issuance of POGO (Philippine Online Gaming Operators) licenses, as declared by PAGCOR Chair Andrea Domingo is violative of the provisions under EO 13, which specifically defined and clarified the individual authorities granted under the laws by which it was created to each government agency,” the petition stated.

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