The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) has been reminded that it, alongside other special economic zones, are not exempt from the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) ban.
According to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary, Juanito Victor Remulla, Executive Order 74 makes it “very clear that […] CEZA, PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) zones are not exempted. We have no boundaries. There are no walls (too) high for us to climb. All these areas, we can inspect”.
This comes after reports emerged early on Friday that CEZA had expressed that it should not be covered by the POGO ban. The articles published on multiple Philippine news outlets were later taken down or altered.
The latest statements, as that cited by GMA News, indicated that CEZA’s CEO Katrina Ponce Enrile affirmed that the authority was abiding by the ban.
“We have no POGO operation inside the zone. We do not sanction such activities. We do not coddle any illegal operations that have any semblance of POGO operations inside our zone,” Enrile told the publication.
Executive Order 74, issued by the Philippine president in November, bans both POGOs and Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) – the new definition given to offshore gaming operations.
All POGO operations were ordered to cease by January 1st of 2025, with authorities adopting a strict approach towards the post-shutdown cleanup.
The DILG has indicated that it will enforce a “zero tolerance” policy towards government officials regarding the closure of POGOs.
“The government’s anti-POGO campaign is an ongoing thing, (it’s) forever. We will continue to be vigilant about it,” indicated the DILG Secretary.
