Marcoleta's opening statement at the Senate hearing on e-gambling

Marcoleta's opening statement at the Senate hearing on e-gambling

Transcript of the opening statement of Senator Rodante D Marcoleta on e-gambling and the brief responses from Pagcor and BSP representatives Senate Padilla Room

14 August 2025

Salamat po Mr. Chair. Ako po ay miyembro ng Iglesia Ni Cristo kaya kapag ako po ay nagsugal, matitiwalag po ako. Kaya alam na po ninyo kung anong posisyon ko dito.

Kaya lang, bago po natin gawin ang dapat gawin, gusto ko malaman kung gaano tayo kahanda. Halimbawa, total ban. Dahil total ban ang ating pinag-uusapan. Gaano tayo kaseryoso? Kasi po, kunwari yung online gambling platforms maisara natin lahat, eh paano yung jueteng? Ako po Grade 1 pa lang ako, may jueteng na sa amin. Hanggang ngayon nandoon pa rin po. So nagsasara tayo, pero bukas tayo sa iba.

So baka mamaya sabihin ng tao, "'di naman totoo yang pinagsasabi ng mga senador." Gusto kong seryosohan, gaano tayo ka-seryoso na gawin natin ito? Kasi po tignan n'yo...

Sa Public Administration, mayroon po tayong mga key principles in public policy. Ang naaakma pong key principle in public policy sa ganitong klaseng suliranin, yun pong tinatawag nilang 'Pareto Efficiency.' Minsan tinatawag din itong 'Pareto Optimality.'

Ano po ibig sabihin noon? It describes a situation where a State is supposed to allocate resources in a way that makes it impossible to make one very happy but also making the other very, very sad.

Tiganan po n'yo, in accordance with the charter and the governing board of the PAGCOR, your earnings are distributed as follows: 5% of winning goes to BIR as franchise tax; 50% of the 90% balance goes to the National Treasury, as national government-mandated incomes here. Cities hosting PAGCOR casinos are given a fixed amount for their respective community projects. Ito po yung corporate income tax: 5% of the balance after the franchise tax and national government-mandated incomes here goes to the Philippine Sports Commission for the country's sports development programs; 1% of net income goes to the Board of Claims. Dangerous Drugs Board, P5 million a month. It provides funds for the implementation of comprehensive dangerous drugs for the establishment, maintenance, operation of drug rehabilitation centers and the Sports Incentives and Benefits Act. PAGCOR is also in coordination with the Department of Energy. Ini-implement po nila ang RA 9153 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. Batas mo yata ito, Senator Zubiri.

Funding which will be sourced from 15% of PAGCOR's annual net income: Remaining balance of PAGCOR's income is remitted to the Social Fund to sustain the priority projects of the Office of the President. 50% of the National Government's share from PAGCOR's gaming income shall be transferred to PhilHealth to fund the Universal Healthcare center. Eh paano po ngayon yan? Napakaraming tatamaan ngayon.

Paano natin sasagutin ngayon nang biglaan sa ating mga kababayan ito na hindi tayo pagsu-suspetsahan na, "o nag gagaling-galingan lang ang mga senador na ito pero baka wala rin magawa eh."

Gusto natin i-ban talaga, ako po number one, gusto ko rin i-ban yan. But let's face it. Bakit po naging salot ito, sabi ng ating Chairman?

Bakit lumaki ang salot? Ano'ng ginagawa ng PAGCOR? Ang PAGCOR po sa aking pagkakaalam, kayo po ang may mandato nito, Presidential Decree 1869 as amended by PD 1993, Executive Order 260, at RA 9487.

Whereas sabi po rito, let me read this: "PAGCOR's operation has enabled the government to identify the potential sources of additional revenue, provided games of chance are strictly managed and made subject to close scrutiny, regulation, supervision, and control of the government."

Bakit nagkaroon ng breakdown ng control, ng supervision, ng scrutiny? Bakit sang-ayon ngayon sa mga nagsipagsalita na mga kasama ko, lumala nang lumala, and we're facing a social ogre, siguro.

Anong ginagawa ng DICT? Kayo po ay magbabantay din dito. So ito po lahat pag-usapan muna natin. Sino-sino po ba ang may-ari ng online game platforms? Siguro po kailangan i-submit sa atin ng PAGCOR. Sino po yung may-ari ng malalaki talaga? Halimbawa po, sino ang may-ari ng AB Leisure Exponents Inc? Sino may-ari ng Gavin Ventures Inc.? GVI? Sino ang may-ari ng Playmate Leisure Solutions Corporation? Sino may-ari ng Philweb Corporation? Apat lang po ang babanggitin ko.

I was informed that these four online gaming operators corner more than 80% of the entire market for this gambling operation. Sino po itong malalaking... kilala ko po lahat ito kaya lang gusto ko marinig sa PAGCOR. Isa-submit niyo po ba sa committee kung sino-sino ang may-ari ng gaming platforms na ito? Mr. PAGCOR, can you make a commitment na i-submit po n'yo?

PAGCOR CHAIRMAN AL TENCGO (AT): Mr. Honor, we will submit the list and the beneficial owners of all the companies, not only what you mentioned pero lahat po yung, kulang pitumpo kasi yung may lisensya.

SRDM: Mayroong purely online lang, mayroong physical casino, at mayroon ding online casino.

AT: Opo, aming isa-submit ang dalawang uri ng pagmanay-ari ng inyong tinatanong. Yung sa land-based casinos, yun po yung mga tinatawag na integrated casinos. So kung saan, yun po ay may mga iba't ibang pag-aari din. Ngayon, mayroon ding mga land-based casinos na integrated resorts, sila po ay mayroon ding online gaming na negosyo na kalakip sa kanilang lisensya.

At bukod doon, doon sa online gaming companies, isusumite po namin sa committee ang pangalan, una ang pangalan ng may lisensya, pangalan ng lisensya, at pangalan po kung sino ang mga beneficial owners nito. Kulang 70 po lahat. Isusumite po namin lahat yan sa committee.

SRDM: Siguro po Mr. Chair, ang kailangan natin para mas maging malinaw. Sino yung official owner, sino yung beneficial owner, sino yung gaming system administrator, ano yung mga games? Katulad po halimbawa nitong AB Leisure Exponent Inc. Yung mga games niya po ito ang Digi Plus, Arena Plus, Bingo Plus.

Ito po yata yung nag-sponsor nung isang concert ngayon-ngayon lang. Pati po ako ay kanyang idinawit. Nagpapatawa po siya, nakita niya yung dating Senador Grace Poe na nagtatawa. Natawa po at siguro naging successful siya. Napatawa niya si Sen. Grace Poe.

Bigla ba naman n'yang sinabi: " Tingnan n'yo yung mukha ni Marcoleta kung matatawa kayo." Napaka-walanghiya nung tao na yan Mr. Chair. Ayaw ko na pong patusin siya, eh.

Ang nag-sponsor po, Digi Plus. Kaya lumalaki po, gumagamit po sila ng mga ganoong klaseng mga sikat na mga tao, so alam ko po malaking pag-uusap ito Mr. Chair. At alam ko I think the PAGCOR and DICT will be struggling to reinvent themselves kung paano ma-address ito. Halimbawa mapag-usapan natin, total ban. Paano kaya ang gagawin nila? Sa ngayon pa lang, I would suggest kung nandito ang representative ng BSP na silang nagre-regulate ng e-wallets.

I believe Mr. Chair that the BSP should issue a suspension order to e-wallet platforms, to deny links to all these online game platforms para wala na pong pag-uusapan. Can the BSP do that?

BSP DEPUTY GOVERNOR MAMERTO TANGONAN (MT): Yes, the Monetary Board of the BSP has approved our policy, that we ask, or we order, direct the BSP-supervised institutions to take down and remove all icons and links redirecting to online gambling sites.

SRDM: So temporary measure Sir para kahit paano po may nagawa na tayo.

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