Philippines’ proposed strategy to deal with POGO crisis: Phase out illegal operators
Presidential Commission Against Organized Crime (PAOCC) spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio proposed phasing out illegal offshore gaming operators as a more effective strategy to address the POGO crisis in the Philippines, the Philippine News Agency reported. Casio said at a news forum in Quezon City that implementing a transition mechanism while phasing out would be the best way to eliminate POGO scams.
Casio stressed the need to reconsider a blanket ban on POGOs, acknowledging that decisions on such issues were not within his remit. He pointed out that currently, there are only 42 POGOs operating legally in the Philippines, while there are still a large number of illegal operations in various areas from Northern Luzon to Central Visayas, many of which operate clandestinely.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez has ordered a congressional investigation in response to reports of criminal activity related to illegal POGOs, including money laundering and human trafficking. Romualdez stressed the importance of identifying and prosecuting those responsible for these illegal acts in order to protect affected communities and uphold the law.
Romualdez also stressed that the investigation will focus on assessing existing regulations and identifying loopholes that allow illegal POGO operations to evade law enforcement, the Philippine News Agency reported. He emphasized the broader goal of maintaining the country's economic stability and protecting citizens from the negative impacts of criminal enterprises.
