Pampanga gov't orders house-to-house inspection to locate illegal POGOs

The provincial government of Pampanga has ordered all mayors in the province to conduct house-to-house inspections against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs in their localities.

According to GMA Integrated News' Jonathan Andal's report on Super Radyo dzBB on Monday, Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda said authorities have been going around their localities since Sunday. 

She said the order for house-to-house inspection was issued even before the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) revealed that it has discovered small-scale "scam" hubs in Mexico and Bacolor towns, both in Pampanga.

“Hindi pa naman sinasabi nung PAOCC 'yung intel report nila, in-alarm ko naman lahat 'yung mga mayors ng Pampanga na lahat ng kapitan, mag-inspection, mag-house-to house sila, tingnan din nila kung may mga POGO pa rin sa mga bayan-bayan nila,” Pineda told GMA Integrated News.

(I have raised the alarm to all mayors in Pampanga to conduct an inspection, house-to-house, and check if there are still POGOs in their cities even before PAOCC came out with its intel report.) 

POGO ban

Pineda said that all mayors in Pampanga are against POGO operations.

Further, she said the provincial government would also issue a resolution banning all POGOs in the province this coming Friday during the last hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

According to the vice governor, they would also invite the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to share data on which POGOs were issued licenses.

“Kasi dapat sa kanila talaga magmula… Kasi kaysa ‘yung naghahanap kami, hinahanap namin kung saan, saan nakatago, sila lang ang makakapagpatunay lang talaga niyan,” she said.

(Because that’s where we should start… instead of looking for POGOs everywhere. They’re the ones who can give information regarding that.)

“At sasabihin lang namin kahit wala siyang violation, 'yung ordinansa namin na hindi na kami pumapayag na may POGO sa Pampanga,” she added.

(We’ll tell them that even if they have no violations, we have an ordinance prohibiting POGOs in Pampanga.) 

Meanwhile, Pineda said she has asked the Philippine National Police to help barangay officials regarding illegal POGO operations.

Authorities earlier this month rescued more than 150 foreign nationals from a 10-hectare POGO compound in Porac, Pampanga. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News