The Philippines’ newly appointed Interior Secretary, Jonvic Remulla, has committed to ensuring the complete shutdown of all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) by year-end.
Following the directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Remulla plans to start by closing POGOs operating at Island Cove in Cavite, a property his family once owned, to demonstrate his commitment to the order.
“That will be the first one to be closed to show proof of sincerity that I will start with my province and make sure that it’s closed,” Remulla said during an interview on Tuesday, October 9th. He stressed that it doesn’t matter whether the operators are Chinese or Filipino, as the presidential order states that all POGOs must cease operations.
Remulla confirmed that a final inspection of all remaining POGOs will take place on December 15th, and these establishments must completely close by December 31st.
In a separate interview on Wednesday, he mentioned that he had already spoken with POGO operators at Island Cove, who agreed to halt their operations by December 15th.
The crackdown on POGOs stems from President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address in July, where he declared a complete ban on the industry due to its links with various illegal activities, including human trafficking and scams.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), along with other agencies such as the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), has been tasked with implementing the shutdown of POGOs across the country.
This transition in leadership at the DILG came after former Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos resigned on October 7th to file his certificate of candidacy for a Senate seat. As a result, Remulla was appointed as his successor, stepping down from his candidacy for re-election as Cavite governor.
“I actually filed my candidacy on Tuesday at 10 am, but I got a call on Friday informing me that the president had asked me to be the new Secretary of Interior. When the president asks, you cannot refuse; you must serve. And I’ve been thinking about what reforms need to be done,” Remulla shared, explaining how he accepted the position.
