Pagcor: No licensed Pogo hubs next to military camps

Photo by Jun A. Malig

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) on Thursday said it has not issued any licenses to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (Pogo) sites operating next to military camps.

Pagcor Chairman Alejandro Tengco made the assurance as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. urged the government to stop Pogo operations near military bases. 

“Gusto ko lang po ipagbigay-alam kay Secretary Teodoro wala pong licensed Pogo hub na katabi ng any military camp na pinagkakaloob ng Pagcor,” Tengco said in a radio dwPM interview.

(I just want to inform Secretary Teodoro that Pagcor did not issue a license to any Pogo hub next to any military camp.)

“Kaya maliwanag, illegal na naman ‘yang mga hub na sinasabi na nakadikit sa mga military camps na yan,” he added.

(So obviously, those hubs that are said to be next to those military camps are illegal.)

Teodoro made the call amid lingering suspicions about the Pogo site locations, with security expert Chester Cabalza even calling it a “Trojan horse” that could be used by China to stage a “surprise attack” against vital military installations.

Porac, Bamban Pogos among unlicensed 250 sites

The recent Pogo raid in Porac, Pampanga yielded suspicious findings, such as a suspected People’s Liberation Army uniform and insignia.

The alleged involvement of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo in the Pogo site near Bamban’s municipal hall also made headlines, with the mayor’s real identity and citizenship also being questioned.

Tengco, however, noted that the Pogo sites in Porac and Bamban are included in the 250 offshore gaming sites that had their licenses revoked after Pagcor’s crackdown last year.

“Actually, yung malalaki na yan — yung Bamban at Porac— eh wala naman na pong mga lisensya sa Pagcor yan eh,” he said.

(Actually, those big operations—in Bamban and Porac—no longer have Pagcor licenses.)

Only 43 sites accredited

Tengco said that they placed about 300 Pogos under probationary status sometime in September last year and only 46 of them got their licenses back.

Another crackdown was conducted on these remaining 46 sites, trimming down the total number of accredited sites —now termed as internet gaming licensees (IGL)—to 43.

“Humigit kumulang 300 ang napagkalooban ng lisensya ng huling administrasyon ng Pagcor. At ito nga ay masusing pinag-aralan at nakita yung mga ginagawa nila ay yung mga bagay na wala nang ukol sa gaming kaya minarapat namin sometime in September 2023 na ilagay lahat sa probationary status at pagkatapos po niyan ay sinalang mabuti,” Tengco said in a radio dwPM interview.

(About 300 were granted licenses by the last Pagcor administration after a thorough study, and we found out that what they are doing is no longer related to gaming. So we decided sometime in September 2023 to put all of them on probationary status, and after that, it was carefully screened.)

“Humigit kumulang nasa 46 na lang po ang natitira. Ang problema po talaga ay hindi ‘yung mga licencees ng Pagcor kundi yung mga humigit kumulang na mga nasa 250 dyan na mga di na napagkalooban ng lisensya muli ay patuloy pa rin ang kanilang paghahanap-buhay nang illegal,” he continued.

(After this, there are only about 46 left. The real problem is not the licensees of Pagcor but the approximately 250 [Pogo operators] who have not been granted a license again yet are still operating illegally.)

Also, Tengco said that most of the remaining 43 IGL sites are confined within Metro Manila.

“Tatlo po sa apatnapu’t anim na ‘yun eh kelan lamang eh sinuspindi ng Pagcor. Naramdaman namin na may mga hindi maganda na gawaing nauukol sa ilalim ng bagong regulasyon ng Pagcor. So we immediately suspended the three. 43 po ang aktibo sa kasalukuyan na mga internet gaming licensees,” he added.

(Three of those forty-six sites were suspended by Pagcor only recently. We feel that they were conducting bad practices that went against the new Pagcor regulation. So, we immediately suspended the three. Only 43 are currently active internet gaming licensees.

“Ang maliwanag po sa natitirang 43, they are within the Metro Manila area and kung meron man one or two within the outskirts of Metro Manila eh wala po kaming napapansin na illegal silang gawain,” he added.

(“What is clear about the remaining 43 is that they are within the Metro Manila area—maybe there are only one or two within the outskirts of Metro Manila—and we do not notice that they are doing illegal activities.)