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Ni ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II
MULING kinalampag ng isang prominenteng kongresista ang Kamara na pagtibayin ang panukalang batas na naglalayong ipagbawal ang offshore gaming operation sa buong bansa.
Para kay Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, hindi dapat ipagwalang-bahala ang banta sa seguridad na kalakip ng mga aktibidad na pinapatakbo ng mga Tsino.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Barbers ang kalakalan ng droga at ang Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) na tinawag niyang “doomsday formula” ng China.
Hirit ng kongresista sa mga kapwa mambabatas, pagtibayin na ang panukalang batas para tuluyang tuldukan ang nagbabadyang banta na taong 2017 pa niya isiniwalat sa kanyang privilege speech.
Paglilinaw ni Barbers, bukas siya sa pagpasok sa Pilipinas ng mga Chinese nationals pero para lamang sa lehitimo at legal na pamumuhunan o pagnenegosyo – at hindi ang “basura” na aniya’y pinagkakakitaan ng bilyon-bilyon sa likod illegal POGO at kalakalan ng droga.
“These POGOs that are banned in mainland China only brought more crimes and shame to our country. Whatever benefit we got from them is nothing compared to what they have put us in. The social costs keep mounting and no amount of taxes or perceived jobs can outweigh them,” litanya ng Chairman ng House Committee on Illegal Drugs.
“These POGOs contributed heavily to the deterioration of our moral fiber. They are fronts to Chinese led criminal syndicates, money-laundering, espionage, cyber hacking, wiretapping, and other illegal activities that gave rise to murder, kidnapping for ransom, rape, prostitution, torture, and countless other unspeakable barbaric activities,” ayon pa kay Barbers
“The worst part is when POGO money is teamed up with drug money and used to bribe our officials to buy their silence and cooperation, put Chinese pretending to be Filipinos to high government positions, buy our agricultural lands to compromise our food security, and extend their influence to all corners of the government infrastructure. POGO politics has complemented narco politics now. If we continue to be blind and refuse to read the writings on the wall, we are doomed,” aniya pa.
Ani Barbers, walang katuturan at mas lalong napapansin ng lipunan ang negatibong dala ng POGO sa pagtatangka ng PAGCOR na pabanguhin ang imahe ng POGO, isa na rin ang pagpapalit sa bago tawag dito.
“No change of name can ever erase its legacy of crimes. POGO by any other name stinks just the same,” patutsada ng mambabatas.
Samantala, hinamon naman ni Barbers ang Fil-Chi community na patunayan ang kanilang katapatan sa Pilipinas partikular ang pagiging bukas sa pagkondena at paglaban sa Chinese nationals na sangkot sa illegal drugs at pambu-bully sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“If they consider themselves Filipinos and are really and genuinely concerned about the country, they should speak out now. If they choose to keep their peace, then at least we know where they stand,” panawagan pa ng Surigao del Norte solon.
“Finally, I call on all patriotic Filipinos to join us in cleaning our country of these criminal syndicates involved in illegal drugs and POGO and get our society back from these modern-day country snatchers,” pagtatapos ni Barbers.
