The Philippine Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality recently urged that lawsuits be filed against government officials involved in illegal activities related to offshore gaming operations (POGO), with a focus on former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo (also known as Guo Hua Ping) and other related individuals.
The committee's investigation found that several officials may have colluded with transnational criminal organizations to facilitate illegal gambling and human trafficking activities in the Philippines.
The committee specifically named the Mayor of Sual, Pangasinan, Liseldo Calugay, and recommended legal action against him and some municipal officials. The report highlighted the relationship between Guo and Calugay as reflecting "collusive actions of local government officials in assisting transnational crime networks," emphasizing the need for legal accountability for those responsible.
GMA News attempted to get a response through Calugay's official Facebook page, but no reply had been received at the time of reporting.
The committee further recommended that, under Republic Act No. 12010 (the Anti-Financial Account Fraud Act), lawsuits for economic sabotage be filed against individuals arrested in POGO-related raids after July 2024 or after the enactment of this regulation. Additionally, although Tony Yang (also known as Yang Jianxin) is already facing charges for forgery, perjury, and violation of the Anti-Alias Law, the committee still advocates for further investigation into his illegal acquisition and use of Filipino identities, and additional charges.
Meanwhile, the report mentioned preliminary intelligence about Michael Yang, Tony Yang, and Hongjiang Yang possibly engaging in foreign intelligence activities, and called for deeper investigations into this matter.
The Senate panel also suggested that the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs continue to cooperate with the Thai government to track down She Zhijiang, who claimed to be a Chinese spy in an Al Jazeera documentary. The committee hopes to gather more intelligence about Guo Wengui's potential involvement in espionage activities and external interference through him.
At the policy level, the committee urged clarification of Executive Order No. 74, which fully prohibits POGO. The report specifically noted that clause 2(b) allows casinos operated by PAGCOR, licensed casinos, and integrated resorts to continue offering online gambling services, potentially providing a loophole for POGO to evade regulation.
"The criminal risks posed by POGO still exist, Mr. President, and we cannot allow these enterprises to continue operating indirectly through other corporate entities or special channels," emphasized committee chair Risa Hontiveros in the report. She further pointed out that special categories of BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing) and some enterprises within economic zones might become "Trojan horses" for POGO, suggesting that the government strengthen regulation and close legal loopholes.
Additionally, the report disclosed that POGO employees were transferred to a casino in Parañaque City and resided in an apartment building in Pasay City, a pattern very similar to POGO operations. Hontiveros warned that if the government does not strengthen monitoring, fraud and illegal gambling activities may continue to proliferate.
To thoroughly address the social issues brought by POGO, the committee strongly recommended the enactment of legislation to completely ban offshore gaming and all related service providers. It also suggested imposing severe penalties on government officials who assist or shelter POGO enterprises to ensure the enforcement of the ban.
Regarding immigration management issues, the committee also requested that the Philippine Bureau of Immigration immediately submit a report on reform measures to the Senate, not only to address Alice Guo's illegal escape but also to thoroughly investigate whether immigration officers are involved in the entry of illegal gambling labor and the trafficking of Filipinos to overseas fraud centers.
The report further suggested simplifying the visa approval process of various government agencies and establishing a single database similar to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, integrating all visa information of incoming individuals to enable relevant departments to uniformly track travelers' visa histories and assess potential security risks.
The committee report was signed by multiple senators, including Raffy Tulfo, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Bong Go, Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Lito Lapid, Migz Zubiri, Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Tolentino, and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.
Senators Legarda and Joel Villanueva explicitly supported Hontiveros's proposals and called for immediate action to curb the adverse effects of POGO on Philippine society.
The latest actions by the Philippine Senate show that the government is intensifying efforts to combat illegal activities related to POGO and strengthen the monitoring of illegal gambling and transnational crime networks to maintain national security and social stability.
