Despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s demand for their termination last month, dozens of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) continue to operate.
Marcos signed Executive Order 74 in November, ordering the immediate termination of all POGO and other offshore gaming activity in the country.
However, the Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced this week that 47 POGO enterprises are still active. DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla stated intentions to conduct inspections beginning on December 15 to guarantee that the enterprises are winding down their activities.
Authorities will conduct inspections to ensure compliance and account for the visas of foreign workers, principally Chinese nationals employed by these casino firms.
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Remulla emphasized the linked nature of these concerns, pointing out that if POGO operations halt, foreign workers must leave the country owing to the expiration of their working visas.
The administration has agreed to stop all POGOs by the end of December, with Secretary Remulla personally agreeing to close the remaining operations.
He emphasized that even smaller-scale POGO setups run by Filipinos would be targeted, warning that any entity with a POGO license must suspend operations by December 15 and completely close by the end of the month.
Local chief executives were also tasked with performing inspections, despite claims that some unlawful POGOs pose as legitimate enterprises like restaurants and resorts.
The government’s efforts to close POGOs are part of a larger program aimed at addressing the industry’s criminal and social ills. In addition to economic and immigration infractions, POGO operations have been tied to human trafficking, online frauds, and local officials’ corruption.
The Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission expressed confidence that any lingering illegal POGO operations will be destroyed. However, obstacles remain, notably in dealing with clandestine operations and holding corrupt authorities accountable.
In a related raid, 187 POGO employees were recently deported to China after breaking Philippine immigration regulations. The workers were seized during raids on three POGO hubs: 3D Analyzer in Pasay, Tourist Garden Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, and Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban, Tarlac. According to authorities, many of the workers lacked valid documentation and broke the terms of their stay.
When the deported persons arrive in China, they will be investigated for their involvement in online scamming activities, which are frequently associated with POGO operations.
The Philippine government has issued a warning to remaining foreign POGO workers to leave the country voluntarily by December 31. The Bureau of Immigration reported that 10,821 foreign workers affiliated with POGOs have already left the country since the raid began.
In January, authorities will step up operations to remove any remaining unlawful POGO activity.
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has come under fire for his apparent participation with Lucky South 99, a POGO hub that was previously investigated for human trafficking and other illicit operations.
Roque, who was facing legal accusations and an arrest warrant, apparently exited the country in suspicious circumstances.
According to Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, Roque most certainly went through unauthorized channels, given his name appeared on the Bureau’s Lookout Bulletin, making formal departure through legal ports exceedingly unlikely.
Roque has refuted the claims, saying in an interview from Abu Dhabi that he fled to write a counter-affidavit in response to the charges.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said that Roque’s flight could be similar to that of Alice Guo, a prominent POGO figure who escaped the Philippines and was eventually arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Investigations into such escapes are ongoing, with police looking into possible coordination between public officials and POGO operators to facilitate illicit activity.
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