Philippines’ Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged various government agencies involved in combating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and associated criminal activities to enhance their coordination.
According to the Philippine News Agency, on Wednesday he called on the Philippine National Police, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI), among others, to collaborate closely with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to develop a cohesive strategy to eliminate POGO-related crimes.
Gatchalian stressed that a lack of unity among these agencies could undermine efforts to tackle POGO operations, allowing them to exploit vulnerabilities. His remarks followed a controversial anti-POGO operation at the Century Peak Tower in Ermita, Manila, on October 29th, which the PAOCC criticized as “flawed,” noting that foreign suspects were released without consultation with the PAOCC.
“We must not allow the illegal activities of POGOs to persist in our communities due to a lack of coordination”, he stated.
In his recent State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced a ban on all POGOs, directing PAGCOR to shut down their operations by the year’s end.
PAOCC also revealed that 111 illegal POGO hubs across the country are still active, highlighting the urgent need for a unified response.
