Marcos Jr.: They will face full force of the law
MANILA, Philippines — Violators of the total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators would face the full force of the law, President Marcos warned, as the government braces for the “guerrilla” operations of former employees of shuttered POGOs.
The licenses of all POGOs will be canceled on Dec. 15 and there will be no renewal of permits for the succeeding year, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR). However, authorities expect rogue POGOs to operate in small houses, apartments, condominiums, subdivisions or resorts despite the ban.
“They will not be allowed to wreak havoc again. Whoever attempts to engage in illegal operations will face the full force of the law,” Marcos declared in a Facebook post last Wednesday.
During this year’s second Joint National Peace and Order Council-Regional Peace and Order Councils meeting held yesterday at Camp Crame, Marcos ordered law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies to conduct smaller but multiple operations against POGOs.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said the President wants the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to intensify their operations against the gaming entities still operating despite the ban.
The Chief Executive also asked local chief executives to coordinate with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in going after the POGOs in their respective areas. He said local governments could identify suspicious illegal activities in their communities, especially those concerning the illegal gaming entities.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said his agency would issue an order requiring all local chief executives to report suspicious activities within their localities as well as possible movements or setups by POGOs.
“You know, Filipinos are resourceful. They will try to find ways. Based on our estimates, they can be tracked easily, they can be prevented easily. As per the President’s instructions, we will make it very difficult for them until they say that it is no longer worth operating in the Philippines,” the interior chief said in a briefing last Wednesday at Malacañang.
“This can be detected through a sudden spike in bandwidth use, entry of suspicious people congregating in houses not registered as businesses, you can see it through the movement of foreigners who wish to set up something even if they are not known (by people in the area). So, they are enjoined to report immediately to us so we would know and take action,” he said.
Remulla added that gaming entities should no longer be called POGOs, but “scam centers.” PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz noted that POGOs could operate anywhere, as long as there is a strong internet connection. “Now we are looking at hundreds of people and probably less than 50 foreign nationals. They form a smaller group that can operate in small houses, subdivisions or apartments or condominiums, sometimes in a resort,” he said.
Cruz added that POGO operators who will continue to operate beyond the Dec. 31 deadline face a crackdown from government. “Those who will dare to operate on January will be apprehended,” he said.
PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco said even the licenses of existing internet gaming licensees or IGLs would be cancelled.
Meanwhile, Remulla clarified that the economic zones in Cagayan, Bataan and Aurora are not exempted from the POGO ban. “They (economic zones) cannot be used as hiding places. PAOCC and DILG will be vigilant in making sure that they will not hide in these places,” he said.
For her part, PNP public information officer Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said that President Marcos ordered the monitoring of POGOs masquerading as business process outsourcing hubs.
best online slots real money“The President insisted is that there is really no more POGOs and IGLs. No one will be allowed anymore,” she said.
During his third State of the Nation Address last July, Marcos ordered agencies to stop the operations of POGOs by the end of the year to end their “grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws.”
The President pointed out POGOs have ventured into “illicit areas furthest from gaming” such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture and murder.
The government is expected to lose about P20 billion to P25 billion annually because of the POGO ban but officials said it would be compensated by other revenue-generating efforts.
As of Nov. 29, there were 53,700 cancelled offshore gaming employment licenses; 18 IGLs voluntarily cancelling their licenses, and 27 IGLs in the process of winding down their operations.
Tengco said PAGCOR had reduced the number of POGOs to about 60 when Marcos announced the ban during his SONA. There are only seven POGOs with active PAGCOR licenses as of last Wednesday. – Emmanuel Tupas
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