Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte said the supposed return of alleged illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs in Davao City may be part of efforts to malign the city and attack the previous administration.

According to a report by GMA Super Radyo Davao, Duterte said during his Dabawenyo podcast that POGO operations are no longer licensed anywhere in the country after the government ordered their closure, making such activities illegal.

He also urged the public to stop using the term “POGO,” claiming it tarnishes the city’s name for political interest.

“It’s just… lagi nilang binabalik talaga yung POGO na label because yun yung attack nila against the previous administration. You know NBI… I don’t know…wala nang POGO ngayon. Kung meron man, it’s an illegal gambling, illegal offshore gambling platform. If they still want to call it POGO in Davao or whatever, bahala kayo. Mag-aksaya kayo ng panahon kung gusto niyo,” Duterte said.

Duterte’s remarks came after agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-Davao (NBI-11) arrested eight Chinese nationals for allegedly operating an illegal POGO hub at a subdivision in Buhangin on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

NBI-11 is also monitoring another possible POGO hub in the city that is allegedly operating as a commercial establishment.

The agency clarified that the foreign suspects were not residents of Davao City but had moved from previously dismantled POGO hubs in other parts of the country.