The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) revealed that it will soon arrest at least four individuals suspected of funding online gambling facilities, including Chinese and Malaysian Chinese nationals.
PACC spokesperson Winston Casio stated at a press conference that they are close to apprehending these financiers and expect to initiate arrests within days or weeks. He disclosed that they have already gathered significant leads and are currently monitoring the situation.
"We have obtained numerous leads, mainly involving Chinese nationals, including some Malaysian Chinese. At the moment, we are closely monitoring these targets and plan to arrest them in the coming period," he said.
Casio described these suspects as online gambling and "casino intermediaries," noting that the evidence against them is "very solid" due to the long-term surveillance conducted by the authorities. He added, "I believe there are more than four people involved, and there are other accomplices. Currently, we are focusing on monitoring these four suspects."
Although PACC previously stated that the number of such entities had significantly decreased since President Marcos Jr. ordered a ban on the online gambling industry in July, Casio acknowledged that combating underground operators remains a challenging task.
"Underground operators are still relatively active, and we face some difficulties during the arrest process," he said.
The President has instructed relevant government departments to shut down all online gambling parks by the end of this year, as these parks are suspected of being linked to criminal activities.
Casio emphasized that the task force's work will continue beyond December 31, stating, "We will continue our operations. If there are still online gambling companies after December, we will continue to track and shut them down."
