Hontiveros raises alarm on ‘reinvented POGOs’ amid new modus, resurgence of text scams

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday raised the alarm over the apparent resurgence of scamming operations and new "modus" for human trafficking that are possibly linked to POGO operations.

"’Yung mga POGO bosses na ‘yan malamang nandito pa rin. Hindi pa lumalabas. Kasi ino-oversee pa nila yung pag-morph ng kanilang POGO operations sa mas maliliit, guerrilla-like operations. May mga bago pa silang modus. Mga travel ads. Kunong travel ads sa simula. Pero sa mag-signify ng interest, parang pa sa sign-in nila at i-recruit nila sa mga scam operations na pala," Hontiveros said during the Kapihan sa Senado.

(The POGO bosses are most probably still here. They have not left. They are still overseeing the morphing of POGO operations into smaller, guerilla-like operations. They have several new modus like those that start off as travel ads. For those who show interest, they will have their victims sign-in and they would then be recruited for what are actually scam operations.)

The lawmaker, who led the Senate investigation into POGO activities, including the case of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, mentioned that there are 12 Filipinos who were victims of human trafficking and are yet to be rescued from Myanmar.

"'Yung at least isa sa kanila, ni-rape ng Chinese boss nila. So yung gender dimension nito, kitang-kita pa rin natin, nagpapatuloy nang matindi," she said.

(At least one of them has been raped by their Chinese boss. There is a gender dimension that we can clearly see and it is relentlessly happening.)

Very worrying

Apart from this, there are former POGO employees who were told to transfer into casino operations.

"Pinagpapatuloy pa rin sa kanila yung mga dating scam operations. So, kulang na kulang pa rin sa kabila ng marami ng efforts," she said.

(They are still told to continue the old scam operations. So despite all our efforts, we need to do more.)

For Hontiveros, the apparent resurgence of text scams is "very worrying."

"Totoo, dumadami na naman yung mga kababayan natin, kahit yung mga kamag-anak natin, mga kaibigan, nagre-reklamo na may resurgence na naman ng mga scam texts and messages," she said.

"Talagang revenue stream din niyan ng POGO so kung mag-resurge niya ay indication na nakahanap na naman ng secure footing ang reinvented POGOs para sa sarili nila, so bukod sa ang laking istorbo na naman ng scam texts at messages sa atin, very worrying kung naka-land na naman on their two feet ang mga POGOs na ito," she added

(It’s true that more of our countrymen, family members, friends, are complaining of a resurgence in scam texts and messages. 

These are part of the POGO revenue stream so a resurgence is an indication that these reinvented POGOs have found a secure footing. Aside from the annoyance caused by these scam texts and messages, it is very worrying if these POGOs were able to land on their feet.)  

Wake up call

According to Hontiveros, she already pointed the loopholes of the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s executive order for the total ban on POGOs to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, but there is still a need to enact the Anti-POGO law.

"Dapat maipasok ito sa ipapasa naming Anti-POGO law. Dahil otherwise, maghahanap at makakahanap ng masusuotan, even in the law, yang mga POGO na iyan sa pamamagitan pa ng PAGCOR," she said.

"Wake up call ito, serving of notice ito sa PAGCOR na huwag nilang papayagan itong mga reinvented POGOs makahanap ng espasyo sa mga casino at mga casinos na may junket agreements na nasa ilalim ng jurisdiction ng PAGCOR. And we will, as best as we can, we will see to it that they won't be able to, sa batas na ipapasa namin. And this is a call again to the Executive na gawin din yan sa EO nila," the senator added.

(These should be included in the Anti-POGO law we are passing. Otherwise, these POGOS will look and will find loopholes, even in the law, through the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

This is a wake up call, this serves notice to PAGCOR not to allow these reinvented POGOS to find space in the casinos that have junket agreements under PAGCOR jurisdiction… we will see to it they won’t be able to do so through the laws we will pass. This is a call for the Executive branch to do just that in their EO.)   

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier raised the same concern, saying the bosses of POGOs are still in the country and continue to conduct illegal activities such as kidnapping seven months since a total ban was ordered.

According to Gatchalian, he was informed that leaders of POGO hubs remain in the country and continue to do “pocket scams” and kidnap one another, along with a child who was recently abducted in connection with POGO activities.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2024, ordered the ban on all POGOs by the end of 2024, citing the sector’s “grave abuse” and “disrespect” to the country’s system and laws. — RF, GMA Integrated News