Philippine President “out to destroy” PhilWeb boss

Does Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte really want online gambling be shuttered down in the island nation or is he just out to get an oligarch that he wants to “destroy?”

More than a month since Duterte announced that “online gambling must stop,” gambling investors are still clueless as to what “online” gambling activities the president was out to close and what is his real reason behind his decision to launch an all-out war against online gambling.

One of the companies that has been greatly affected by Duterte’s stance on online gambling is Philippines-based gaming technology provider PhilWeb Corporation, which is owned by former Philippine Trade Minister and business tycoon Roberto Ongpin. PhilWeb operates a network of 268 Pagcor e-Games cafes with a total of 8,839 gaming terminals nationwide.

PhilWeb’s e-Games cafes are in Metro Manila, Quezon, Batangas and the Balesin Island resort, which Ongpin also owned. Philweb’s temporary license is set to expire on August 10.