Marcos Jr. forgoes pressing issues, but PCCI understands

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization, expressed understanding over the absence of some pressing national issues in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Among the topics left unmentioned were the proposed total ban on online gambling, the failed impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, the ongoing case of former President Rodrigo Duterte, and the 19 percent tariff rate imposed by the United States on Philippine exports.

“On tariffs, it’s understandable as negotiations are not yet finalized. It’s intentional for him to do so, I guess. But that’s understandable,” PCCI president Enunina Mangio said in a phone interview.

The Department of Trade and Industry earlier said that Undersecretary Allan Gepty, the country’s chief negotiator, is in ongoing discussions with officials from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office to lower the 19 percent tariff on Philippine exports.

As for the controversial proposal to ban online gambling — opposed by several senators, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, and various stakeholders — Mangio said she is not in favor of a total ban.

“Maybe that issue only needs tougher regulations and monitoring, as these online gambling sites are providing revenues to our country. Malaki ang mawawala sa atin kapag na total ban yan,” she said.

According to legal and consulting firm Arden Consult, over 50,000 jobs are at risk should a full ban be implemented.

Industry figures show that licensed online gambling operators contributed P112 billion to the government in 2024. Of that amount, P16.6 billion was allocated to PhilHealth for the Universal Health Care program, while P46.32 billion was remitted to the National Treasury as dividends. E-games also contributed P12.37 billion to socio-civic programs through the Office of the President and over P5.9 billion in taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

When asked about the President’s silence on the cases involving Rodrigo Duterte and Sara Duterte, Mangio simply said, “No comment!”

The Duterte camp continues to call for the provisional release of the former president from the International Criminal Court. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court recently ruled the impeachment attempt against Vice President Duterte unconstitutional, citing violations of the one-year rule under the 1986 Constitution and her right to due process.