Barbers came up with this idea after leading the House Quadrilateral Committee through weeks of marathon hearings. The committee is investigating a series of interconnected issues involving Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), illegal drugs, money laundering, and extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration's drug war.
Barbers stated that at this stage of the investigation, through the testimonies and actions provided by multiple witnesses, the committee members have gained a broader perspective, "guiding us in a direction that made us realize that behind the illegal POGO operations in Banban town in Tanza province and Porac town in Pampanga province, and even in a broader region, there are still many mysteries to be uncovered."
The legislator from Mindanao pointed out that the U.S. RICO Act has been widely and successfully used to prosecute thousands of individuals and organizations. He explained that the RICO Act stipulates that it is illegal to acquire, operate, or profit from a business through racketeering activities.
The core of the RICO Act is to prove and prohibit a pattern of criminal activity conducted through an "enterprise," which in U.S. law is defined as "any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity, and any union or group of individuals associated in fact although not a legal entity."
