Philippine authorities are intensifying efforts to dismantle illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, with at least 80 percent of the 400 POGO hubs already ceasing operations, according to an update from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Tuesday.
Due to the illegal nature of the remaining POGOs, the authorities’ data may sometimes cause confusion. A nationwide shutdown of all POGO hubs was completed in December last year.
However, law enforcement has estimated that hundreds of POGO-like operations still have resorted to “guerrilla” tactics to continue their activities.
According to local media Inquirer.net, PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz revealed that small-scale POGO operations are still being monitored across Northern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
As reported previously by AGB in November last year, these POGOs are relocating their operations to islands such as the Visayas and Mindanao in an effort to circumvent the nationwide ban.
Cruz also highlighted that the Bureau of Immigration has deported approximately 27,000 of the 40,000 POGO workers in the country. Some individuals from a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, managed to escape and are now operating primarily in the Visayas.
These small-scale POGOs often involve groups of 20 to 50 people who rent two rooms to conduct fraudulent activities. Cruz added that reports indicate these operations are shifting towards the Visayas region.
Cruz explained that ongoing monitoring activities are focused on the Visayas, as there have been reports of these groups relocating there. He further stated that those who escaped are mostly now concentrated in the Visayas and Mindanao, with a particular focus on the Visayas.
Small-scale POGOs typically operate in more discreet locations such as resorts, apartments, subdivisions, or gated communities. Cruz noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. believes POGOs cannot continue without the involvement of local government officials, particularly village leaders.
Unusual surges in foreign nationals at private resorts and a spike in food deliveries are indicators that a POGO operation may be taking place, Cruz explained.
He emphasized that POGOs rely on a stable internet connection, computers, and manpower, with foreigners often playing a key role in managing operations, while Filipino workers handle tasks like keyboard operations.