The Philippines’ Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is considering legal action against local officials in Pasay City due to the continued operation of illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) within their jurisdiction.
Pasay, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines, borders Manila to the south. POGOs had been concentrated in Metro Manila, particularly in Pasay and Parañaque.
According to the Philippine News Agency, the PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio, speaking at a Palace press briefing on Wednesday, emphasized that the southern part of Metro Manila, including Pasay, Parañaque, and Makati, remains a key area for illegal POGOs.
The PAOCC is building a case against certain local government units (LGUs) in these cities, particularly Pasay, following multiple POGO raids.
Casio noted that the ongoing investigation is examining the potential criminal liability of Pasay City officials, focusing on their role in issuing business permits and mayor’s permits. While the investigation is still in progress, collaboration with the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government is ongoing.
Raids in Pasay have included operations at locations such as SA Rivendell, Zun Yuan Technology, Kimberhi Technology, and the Heritage Hotel.
Earlier this week, the PAOCC also set a new target to eliminate all illegal POGOs by the end of the year, as all POGOs had already been banned by the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval reported that 11,254 foreign POGO workers remain in the Philippines, despite government orders for them to leave following the industry’s closure last year. These workers, primarily from Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and Myanmar, are facing deportation and have been added to the BI’s blacklist.
Sandoval clarified that this figure excludes those who were already working with illegal POGOs. According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) list, there are approximately 33,863 foreign nationals employed by registered POGOs, with 22,609 having already left the country. The remaining workers are now classified as illegal aliens.
So far, BI operations have led to the arrest of 518 foreign POGO workers in four major operations this year, including raids in Parañaque, Silang, Cavite, and Pasay.
