PAOCC confident Pogo woes gone by yearend 

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s problem with Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) will be fully solved by the end of the year, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Monday.

PAOCC chief Gilbert Cruz expressed such optimistic views following the recent “neutralization” of three major scam hubs since the start of the year, leading to the apprehension of 559 foreign nationals.

READ: 400 foreign workers held in Pasay ‘Pogo’ raid

These three scam hubs were located in a corporate building in Parañaque City; as well as in the condominium and inside the basement of a hotel, both in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, five foreign fugitives from China were arrested in the Parañaque raid last Feb. 17.

PAOCC said authorities are still waiting for an update from its foreign counterparts if there were fugitives in the last Pasay raids.

Furthermore, on Feb. 13, PAOCC rescued 30 Indonesian nationals who were former Pogo workers. Their three bosses were also arrested while the Indonesians are now subject for repatriation.

Also on Feb. 13, PAOCC was also able to disband a Chinese-run kidnapping group victimizing fellow Chinese who worked for Pogo. Two Chinese perpetrators were arrested and one Chinese victim bearing marks of torture was rescued.

All of the apprehended foreigners will be subjected to immigration inquest to facilitate their deportation and subsequent blacklisting from entering the country.

With these arrests, PAOCC said Cruz is “confident that with the assistance of other national government agencies and the local government executives the administration will be able to totally end the problem by the year’s end.”

PAOCC, however, said these operations indicate that “a good number” of Pogo bosses remain in the country, flouting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s total ban on the industry.

“Although most of the remaining scam hubs have hidden in smaller residential and commercial locations, these latest raids show that there are still remnants that operate as large-scale hubs in major urban centers,” the commission said.