A bill seeking to box the power of the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) as purely regulatory was filed in Congress, according to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.

House Bill No. 6514 was co-sponsored by no-less than Philippine House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who stamped the proposed legislation as a “priority” bill.

It would be recalled that Alvarez has been dying to take away the licensing powers of PAGCOR and transfer it into the hands of Philippine representatives. Taking the matter in his hand, Alvarez has proposed to consolidate all regulatory functions into the agency.

From PAGCOR, Alvarez said the new regulatory agency will be called Philippine Amusements and Gaming Authority (PAGA).