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In the ongoing battle against Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators(POGO), four new bills have been filed in the Philippines House of Representatives, and they are aimed at tightening regulations and addressing illegal activities surrounding the industry.
These bills were filed by the House Quad Committee (Quadcom), composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts, and are looking to seal the various loopholes that enabled illicit activities linked to POGOs.
Quadcom is chaired by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who outlined that the committee also recommended 30 amendments to strengthen existing laws. “In a simple analysis, local and foreign crime syndicates carefully studied the weaknesses and loopholes in our laws and used them to carry out their illegal activities in our country,” he said.
Despite the President’s ban on POGOs earlier this year, the first Quadcom bill is still advocating for a comprehensive prohibition on all forms of offshore gambling, proposing fines for violators that could reach up to P10 million (€170,000).
The other bills seek to enable the forfeiture of real estate unlawfully acquired by foreign nationals, impose penalties for conspiracy to commit espionage, and allow for the cancellation of fraudulent birth certificates.
These new measures are thought to be related to former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, whose ties to illegal POGO sites led to accusations of her being a Chinese secret agent. She has been arrested and is currently facing criminal charges relating to money laundering, illegal drugs, and organized crime activities.
POGO Ban Set to Take Effect on December 31st
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators(POGO) is expected to take effect tomorrow after growing reports of torture, kidnapping, murder, and human trafficking being linked to POGOs.
The president announcing the ban in July said, “Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into elicit areas beyond gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder.
“The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop. It is necessary to stop this disturbance in our society, and desecration of our country.”
Notably, in late August, authorities rescued 162 individuals from a POGO hub in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. On December 11, government officials announced that they were ready to go after rogue POGOs following the president’s ban. The country is preparing for the rise of “guerrilla operations” after the cancellation of all former licenses but is ready to crack down on them fully.
Gilbert Cruz, the Executive Director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOOC), also warned about the possibility of former POGO workers establishing underground operations. “Those who will dare to operate ng (on) January, they will be arrested,” he said.
Former President Duterte legalized POGOs in 2016, and at their peak, the industry boasted over 300 licensed operators. However, following heightened regulatory scrutiny in 2023, that number dwindled to 73, and it further dropped to 60 by the time the ban was announced this summer.
Currently, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) reports that only seven licensed sites remain, all of which are now racing to comply with the December 31st shutdown deadline.
Source: Next.io
