SEN. Francis 'Chiz' EscuderoThe senator issued the statement following calls from some sectors to ban POGOs amid reports that human trafficking, kidnapping and other crimes were supposedly linked to their operations.He said that one bad POGO 'doesn't make all POGOs bad, especially not when the government is raising revenues for its various mandates.''If we close them down, we may have to increase taxes because we need to cover the lost income from them.
I do not agree with that kind of principle and policy, except when the ban covers all [gambling],' Escudero said.Comparing POGO to pollution-causing vehicles, he asked, 'Most buses pollute nature, so ban buses? Also for jeeps? Let's replace them because they create a lot of noise and pollution because they are not maintained.'He lauded Pagcor for giving POGOs provisional licenses pending review.