Monday, February 10, 2025
HomeNewsPhilippinesSenator Sherwin Gatchalian calls for increased funding to help police in POGO crackdown

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian calls for increased funding to help police in POGO crackdown

Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has called for an increase in the intelligence fund for the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the government continues its efforts to shut down Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) that remain in defiance of the ban on their operations.

According to the Philippine News Agency, Gatchalian emphasized that the PNP requires more funding to effectively gather intelligence, particularly in the ongoing fight against POGOs. He noted that some POGOs are going underground and disguising their operations by integrating into other business sectors.

He stressed the urgency of supporting the PNP in its intelligence-gathering efforts at this critical time.

Philippine National Police PNP, Philippines

The senator pointed out that the PNP’s intelligence fund has decreased from PHP1.36 billion ($23 million) in 2023 to PHP906 million ($15.4 million) in 2024. In the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2025, the PNP’s intelligence fund was initially set at PHP806 million ($13.7 million) but was increased by PHP100 million ($1.7 million) by the Senate. Gatchalian questioned the reduction from previous years, stating that it contradicts the goal of intensifying the fight against illegal POGOs.

With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to end all POGO operations in the country by the end of the year, law enforcement agencies like the PNP must ramp up their efforts to dismantle illegal operations, especially those involved in serious crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking, and online scamming.

According to PNP data, as of May this year, 5,800 victims have been linked to POGO-related crimes. Gatchalian referred to Section 4 of Executive Order No. 74, issued by the President on November 5th, which called on the PNP to intensify efforts against illegal POGOs and other offshore gaming operations.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Gatchalian has been a staunch advocate for ending POGO operations, arguing that the social costs of allowing them to continue far outweigh any economic benefits.

Viviana Chan
Viviana Chanhttps://agbrief.com/
Viviana Chan is an editor, interpreter, and journalist. With over a decade of experience, she writes in English, Chinese, and Portuguese. Viviana started her career in Macau-based newspapers, where she became passionate about the region's social, financial, and cultural development. Her writing focuses on the economy, emerging industries, gaming development, political affairs, and cross cultural-exchange in the business and cultural domains. She is avid for news and eager to discover and cover stories that generate public relevance.

MORE ARTICLES

FOLLOW AGB

daily newsletter