PAOCC says 100 Pogos still operating despite ban, vows crackdown

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Around 100 Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) are still operating nationwide even months after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered a total ban on the sector, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

Citing a report from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), PAOCC chief Gilbert Cruz said that while many Pogos have already been closed, about a hundred are still being monitored.

“Many have also closed based on the report given by Pagcor, while others are continuously winding down their operations,” Cruz said in an interview over Radyo 630.

READ: Marcos: ‘All Pogos are banned!’

“We are still monitoring a few Pogos left; before, there were about 200, but now there are only around 100,” he added.

Even if these remaining Pogos split into smaller groups, Cruz said they are confident of catching and closing them down.

“Even if they hide into smaller groups, the indicators are still there —  they operate at night because of the time zone. Even if they split into smaller units, we can catch them,” he explained.

During his third State of the Nation Address on July 22, Marcos ordered a total ban on Pogos, as he pointed out that their operations in the Philippines have ventured into illicit activities such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, and even murder.

READ: New DILG chief Remulla vows crackdown on Pogo hubs in Cavite

Marcos ordered Pagcor to shut down all Pogos by the end of the year.

He also instructed the Department of Labor and Employment to coordinate with the administration’s economic managers and find new jobs for the affected Filipino workers.