Telcos urged to attend Pogo probe to pinpoint areas using data heavily

House of Representatives. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Different telecommunications companies (telcos) have been asked to attend a House of Representatives investigation on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo), so that they can pinpoint which areas use the internet heavily.

Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez, who made the motion to invite the telcos, said that the companies can actually show which companies use a lot of data and eventually help the government identify possible Pogo sites — because Pogos use huge bandwidths for their operations.

“In case there will be a subsequent committee meeting, I’d like to move Mr. Chair to invite the major telcos, even the small internet service providers in this committee regarding IGLs and Pogos,” Gomez said, before the motion was approved by House committee on public order and safety chairperson and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez.

“Together with the Anti-Cybercrime group, with Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation), the LGU (local government unit), and the telcos, mapi-pinpoint nila direkta kung saan ‘yong malakas gumamit ng data.  Tama ‘di ba?  Makikita natin kung saan napupunta ‘yong malakas gumamit ng internet,” he added.

(Together with the Anti-Cybercrime group, with Pagcor, the LGU, and the telcos, we can pinpoint directly which areas use data the most.  Correct, right?  We can see which facilities use the internet the most.)

Gomez raised this point after discussing with Pagcor Chairman Al Tengco whether it is the government that coordinates with telcos or if it is an option of Pogos.

According to Tengco, Pogos get to pick their own preferred internet service provider (ISP).

“Currently they do not need to coordinate with us,” Tengco said.  “Because they have the license, they are the ones needing broadband or access to the internet, as an operator, they are the ones who directly apply with these service providers.”

Aside from the data usage, Gomez said the government can countercheck which of the illegal Pogos are still using data at a high amount, noting that these facilities will surely have millions worth of payables to telcos given that their platform needs a high-speed internet connectivity.

“The reason why I asked this Mr. Chair is because the telcos, if you look at the licenses issued by Pagcor, and with Pogos who have gone rogue and illegal, you can visit telcos and you can see the data usage of a specific area.   You can also see the IP address of the telcos, and from there, you can determine the usage of companies which use their internet,” he said.

“When you see that usage is still high, you can raise doubts.  And second, these internet providers, Mr. Chair, they have receivables by the millions, by the hundreds of millions for using their services.  They will collect these fees, so we can specify the areas if we ask for the coordinates, we will know where the lines exactly go,” he added.

The committee on public order and safety along with the committee on games and amusements started their investigation of Pogos earlier, focusing on the alleged illegal activities that surround the games.

Earlier, it was revealed that a Pogo worker identified as “Dylan” — not his real name — was sold to the illegal Pogo in Bamban, Tarlac, for P300,000.

Dylan said his friend, a Chinese national, invited him to the Baofu compound to celebrate the Chinese New Year last February 10, 2024.  However, his friend left him there, and Baofu officials eventually said that Dylan would have to work there unless he can pay off the money used to buy him.

Last March 13, 371 Filipinos and 497 foreigners were rescued from a Pogo in Bamban, Tarlac, which was raided for alleged human trafficking involvement.

READ: Over 800 Filipinos, foreign Pogo workers rescued in Tarlac raid 

The Pogo was linked to now suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) accused the local chief executive of having business interests in Baofu Land Development Inc.

Baofu owns the land where the raided Pogo sits.  DILG said Baofu, as represented by Guo who was president of the company, purchased eight parcels of land in Bamban last February 2019.

Guo claims to have divested ownership of Baofu, but DILG believes the amount she divested it for — P2.5 million — was “grossly incongruent to her investment on Baufo which is approximately eight hectares of land”.

There have been proposals to totally ban Pogos in the country.  Last June 11, Makabayan bloc lawmakers in the House of Representatives filed House Bill (HB) No. 10525 or the proposed Anti-Pogo Act of 2024 — which will revoke existing licenses and ban future Pogos due to the social cost it brings.

READ: House bill filed to ban Pogos, revoke licenses 

Several Pogo workers were found to have suffered torture at the hands of operators, while they were illegally detained.

During the hearing proper, videos of male and female Pogo workers being punched or hit with metal bats and sticks, and even electrocuted using tasers were shown at the Nograles hall of the Batasang Pambansa complex, and at the YouTube and Facebook livestream of the House of Representatives.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston John Casio explained that the workers were tortured if they are caught attempting to escape the Pogo facility.