After the closure of the large Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) centers in the Manila area, the President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) will shift its focus to smaller POGO centers in Visayas and Mindanao.
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz stated on January 14 that they are closely monitoring the POGO operations in Visayas and Mindanao, as well as related activities in the northern Luzon region.
Cruz said: "We are also focusing on Visayas because we have received reports that they have moved there."
He added that when PAOCC initially started operations against POGO in Porac, Pampanga, some of the escapees were later monitored to appear in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
Cruz mentioned: "But most were found in Visayas. These people usually exist in small groups of 20 to 50, engaging in fraudulent activities within two rooms."
The official also noted that these gangs usually have "foreign partners."
In the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2024 by President Marcos, PAOCC was instructed to launch a crackdown on the existing POGO centers in the country due to their association with criminal and illegal activities.
Cruz revealed that they have successfully closed 80% of the initially monitored 400 POGO centers.
He explained: "However, the closure of these centers does not mean that they have completely ceased operations. This is exactly our target, those small operators."
Cruz added that specific data regarding the closure of POGO centers will be announced at the end of the year.
Due to the closure of POGO centers, Cruz mentioned that about 27,000 of the 40,000 POGO workers who entered the Philippines have been deported by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
