As the new year 2025 begins, the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) have come to an end, as they have become a societal menace associated with a series of criminal activities.
According to Executive Order (EO) No. 74 signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in November, Philippine law enforcement agencies have cracked down on POGOs to ensure their cessation by the end of 2024.
This led to the closure of the country's largest POGO compound on December 17, located at the former Island Cove Resort in Cavite Province, led by Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla, Vice Minister Gilbert Cruz of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Chairman Alejandro Tengco of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and General Rommel Francisco Marbil, Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
In 2017, the Remulla family sold the resort to a real estate developer. In 2019, the resort began operating as a POGO hub.
The 33-hectare POGO facility is the largest in the Philippines, employing 30,000 workers, half of whom are Filipinos.
The resort consists of 57 buildings, including employee dormitories, gaming centers, cafes, grocery stores, clinics, restaurants, spas, and beauty salons.
Meanwhile, the PAOCC is intensifying nationwide actions against guerrilla-style POGO operations.
Law enforcement will also inspect special category Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) facilities to ensure no POGO centers are concealing their operations.
Alice Guo and Apollo Quiboloy Fall from Grace
2024 also witnessed the downfall of two prominent figures related to a series of crimes—dismissed Mayor Alice Guo of Banban and Apollo Quiboloy, leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
Guo was arrested in Indonesia in September and deported back to her country.
Previously, the Senate ordered the arrest of the dismissed mayor, her siblings Wesley and Hila, and their parents for refusing to attend an investigation into the operations of Zun Yuan Technology Inc., a POGO center located in Banban, which was raided by authorities in March.
Philippine authorities revealed that her fingerprints matched those of a Chinese citizen named Alice Guo, sparking questions about the dismissed mayor's nationality.
The ombudsman ordered her dismissal on August 12 for grave misconduct and permanently barred her from holding public office.
This is related to the accusations by the Interior Ministry regarding her alleged involvement in the operations of Philippine offshore gaming companies.
Guo and her co-defendants face human trafficking charges following a June raid on an offshore gaming center in Tarlac Province, Banban, where 800 Filipino and foreign workers were rescued.
In September, the dismissed Guo and 13 others were brought before the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC), charged with human trafficking, and denied bail.
In addition to Guo, the Justice Department also charged Dennis Kunanan and 12 other executives, as well as the founders of three companies, who are alleged to be Guo's business partners.
Meanwhile, Quiboloy was arrested on September 8 at the KOJC compound in Davao City, currently facing non-bailable human trafficking charges. He is also accused of child abuse and sexual assault, along with his five assistants.
After his arrest, his lawyer immediately requested that he be sent to the hospital or placed under house arrest, citing his medical history, including two previous heart surgeries.
The Philippine National Police General Hospital announced that his condition was not life-threatening, and the court rejected this request.
Last November, Quiboloy was transferred from the Philippine Heart Center to the Pasig City Jail, where he was detained after obtaining medical leave.
Progress in the Bloodless Drug Campaign
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reports that from July 2022 to October 31 of this year, the Marcos administration's drug campaign has so far seized drugs worth 51.14 billion Philippine pesos and arrested 119,022 drug suspects.
The records also show that among the people arrested in 87,802 operations nationwide, 7,567 were high-value targets.
During the same period, 1,217 drug dens and 2 secret methamphetamine labs were destroyed.
Meanwhile, 29,211 out of 42,000 villages have been declared "drug-free," with 6,292 villages in the process of being cleared.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in his third State of the Nation Address in July, pledged to continue the bloodless drug campaign, emphasizing that eradication is not part of his government's drug campaign.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) seized drugs worth nearly 2.4 billion Philippine pesos from January 1 to December 18, 2024.
Eleazar Matta, Chief Brigadier General of PDEG, stated that this included 168 kilograms of drug shabu, 3,866,600 mature cannabis plants, 1,830 kilograms of dry cannabis leaves, 48.672 kilograms of ketamine, 36.9 kilograms of kush, 1,343 ecstasy pills, and 90 grams of cocaine.
In 698 operations, illegal drugs were seized, including entrapment, search warrants, and cannabis eradication operations, and 809 drug suspects and 232 wanted criminals were arrested.
Matta stated that the current focus is on interception, with PDEG still actively executing coordinated, high-impact actions, ensuring the integrity and transparency of all operations, and always using body cameras.
He said that the operations are well-documented and prepared for tight cases to ensure the prosecution of criminals.
Matta also paid tribute to the police officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
"The heroism of these agents inspires the entire team to keep moving forward, ensuring that their sacrifices are not in vain," Matta said.
He noted that this milestone achievement highlights the Philippine National Police's realigned 2024-2028 anti-illegal drug campaign roadmap, which embodies a human rights-focused, community-led approach to addressing the national drug problem.
