PAOCC: We’ll finish illegal POGO ops in PH ‘within a year’

A month and a half since the total ban of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country, there are still 11,000 illegal workers conducting scamming activities, according to a senior government official whose agency has been tasked to stop them.

In an interview Sunday in Executive Summary on Super Radyo dzBB with Tuesday Niu and Christian Maño, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, the executive director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), said government could eliminate the illegal POGO activities in one year.  

“Kakayanin within the year na maubos na iyan. Unti-unti lang po. Iyan naman ang ginagawa natin, hindi tayo tumitigil. (Going after POGOs) is new, that is why we needed a new Executive Order for this,” Cruz said.

(We can do this within the year. Slowly yet surely. This is what we have been doing, we are not stopping.)

On November 5, 2024, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. issued an executive order prohibiting Philippine Offshore Gaming, internet gaming, and other offshore gaming operations in the country.

Executive Order No. 74 states that the ban on POGOs and internet gaming licenses shall encompass illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations.

In its ongoing campaign against illegal POGOs the PAOCC head said they are in a joint effort with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“Malaki kasi ang kita. Kaya nilalaban nila ang malaking kita na huwag mahuli,” he said.

(They steal a huge amount of money. That is why they are fighting for this money and for them not to be caught.) 

According to Cruz, the BI said there are still 11,000 ex-POGO workers remaining inside the country and that these have scattered in different parts of the Philippines.

“Kung napansin n'yo, may nahuhuli kami sa Cavite, sa parte ng Laguna and meron sa Metro Manila. Ang napapansin ko hindi talaga sila lumalayo. Ang pinupuntahan nila 'yung ‘hiding in plain sight’. Siyempre foreign nationals sila, doon sila sa mga lugar na parang normal lang na makakita ng foreign nationals doon – sa mga hotels o resorts,” Cruz observed.

(If you have noticed, those we arrested are in Cavite, Laguna and in Metro Manila. I have observed they don’t stray far. They prefer to go ‘hiding in plain sight’. These are foreign nationals, they will be located in places where it is normal to see foreign nationals such as hotels or resorts.)

Cruz said all of these foreigners no longer renewed or downgraded their visas and are operating in establishments without valid permits or internet gaming licenses.

From their scamming operations inside the large POGO compounds, they have shifted to small-scale activities, the PAOCC chief pointed out, love scams being among the most recent.

There are also incidents of kidnapping and torture with PAOCC rescuing foreign victims.

PAOCC said they are monitoring areas in various locations that include Northern Luzon, parts of the National Capital Region, Southern Luzon, and the Visayas.

Must follow process

Responding to criticisms of the slow pace of deportations for those who have been arrested, Cruz said it can be faster but processes need to be followed.

For each foreigner who is arrested, Cruz said PAOCC needs to check clearances, records with the NBI or police. 

“If they have a case, we cannot just deport them since their cases need to be resolved. Their records also need to be processed with the BI, especially those without passports. And most of those being deported do not have passports since these were taken away by the crime syndicates. It takes time for them to be deported,” he explained.

If there are possible connections with espionage operations from some foreigners who are nabbed, PAOCC refers them to the appropriate agency. 

“Tinitignan din natin but karamihan sa POGO ang nakikita namin. Yung ibang nagdududa tayo na gumagawa ng ganyang activities nire-refer natin sa Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he said.

(We are checking, but most of POGOs we see are into POGO operations. The others that we suspect may be doing such [espionage] activities are referred to the AFP.)

“Malaki kasi ang kita. Kaya nilalaban nila ang malaking kita na huwag mahuli.

(They earn a lot so they are taking the risk to operate despite the possibility that they will be caught.)

Cruz added that even counterparts from other countries’ law enforcement agencies have visited the Philippines to witness first-hand Filipino efforts to curb head-on these POGO operations. 

“They want to adopt our methods since these POGOs are switching their activities to within their borders,’ he said.

PAOCC has also received help from local government units or LGUs. "Ok ang LGUs every time we ask for their cooperation. Sometimes they are the ones providing us information,” Cruz said.

Cruz said they are grateful to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their support in curbing POGO scammers.

“Sec. Gilbert Remulla has issued a memo to local government executives for them to monitor, arrest and not to give permits to possible POGOs in their localities. DOJ assistance allows PAOCC to quickly file cases against those they arrest.There is a good coordination between agencies and this will help us succeed in our campaign,” Cruz said. —RF/KG, GMA Integrated News