Offshore gambling operations in the Philippines are being warned to leave the nation by December 31 at the latest. However, there are still pockets of illicit activity, and a government official cautions that new POGOs may appear.
Philippine POGOs are disappearing. Nearly.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned the offshore gambling activities in July after they were connected to murder, prostitution, and human trafficking. He gave the order to stop operations right away and phase them out entirely by December 31.
Alejandro Tengco, the head of the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), said the evacuation is going well.
Tengco stated in remarks published by the Manila Times (10 December) that there are just 17 POGOs left, compared to almost 300 in 2019. “There will be no more licensed POGOs operating by the end of this year,” he said confidently.
Regarding unauthorized activities, he was unable to say the same thing. As opportunistic Filipinos establish clandestine businesses, Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) cautions that domestic activities may surface.
To stop the tide, Remulla declared, “We are mounting guerrilla operations.”
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POGOs reflect “failures of governance” in Philippines
In November, a Senate investigation into the sector came to an end. It found that Chinese interests had infiltrated and sponsored unlawful POGOs. Installing Chinese sympathizers in local power positions in the Philippines has been referred to by some politicians as a “Trojan horse” tactic.
Alice Guo, also called Guo Hua Ping, was the case’s poster child. In 2022, the Chinese national ran for office in Bamban, Tarlac province, by disguising herself as a Filipina. According to reports, Guo had a significant role in running a POGO in the rural region before being elected mayor. She is charged with several offenses, such as people trafficking and money laundering.
Guo is a personification of “the governance failures that made the rise of POGOs possible,” according to an editorial in the Philippine Inquirer.
According to the editorial, “POGOs’ closeness to military installations and reports of purported PLO uniforms in POGO compounds raise concerns about espionage, amplifying fears of national security breaches that could compromise the country’s defense capabilities.”
“The Philippines’ national security and peace and order are seriously threatened by this.”
Deportations and arrests continue
Law enforcement is still chasing down alleged POGO agents in the meanwhile. The 60 individuals detained at a suspected POGO in Davao del Norte will face charges from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Philippine Star claims that Luzon was the POGO’s original home. It seems to have just uprooted itself and relocated to Davao del Norte following raids on other POGOs in the area. Archie Albao, the director of the NBI, said that the operation could have been protected by local politicians.
187 international POGO employees were brought to Ninoy Aquino Airport last week by representatives of the Philippine Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC) in preparation for their deportation to Shanghai.
Government representatives under scrutiny
In related events, undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty of the Department of Justice informed GMA events that former President Rodrigo Duterte cannot be connected to illegal POGOs. During the Duterte administration, which lasted from 2016 to 2022, the offshore sector was founded and thrived.
Attorney Harry Roque, Duterte’s former spokesperson, is suspected of serving as the “legal head” of a POGO in Porac, Pampanga. Roque is now in Abu Dhabi after fleeing the country. He has refuted the accusations.
Lastly, senators will suggest charges against ten current and former government officials for suspected participation in illegal narcotics, POGOs, and extrajudicial executions, according to today’s Philippine Star.
Representative Robert Ace Barbers of Suriago del Norte stated, “We have to finalize our recommendation on Thursday.” “There, we will submit it for the entire house’s approval before the plenary.”
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