Philippine Justice Minister Menardo Guevarra has once again called on Congress to pass special legislation as soon as possible to more effectively address the issue of fake documents involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and to accelerate the seizure of related illegal assets.
During an interview with PTV4, Guevarra pointed out that due to the large number of cases involved, if each case were to be submitted to the court for trial under current laws, it would not only be time-consuming but also extremely costly. Therefore, the justice department is working with other government agencies to promote legislation that would change the handling of related cases to administrative procedures, to avoid long delays caused by judicial processes.
"Currently, a bill has been submitted to Congress, hoping to resolve these cases through administrative procedures rather than court trials. Otherwise, ordinary court procedures could take months or even longer, affecting the efficiency of law enforcement," Guevarra said.
Last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered a comprehensive cleanup of the POGO industry in his State of the Nation Address and revoked all its operating licenses, citing the industry as a hotbed for fraud, corruption, and criminal activities. Subsequently, Congress launched an investigation and submitted a report to the Justice Department, calling for stricter measures against foreigners using forged documents.
Guevarra revealed that some foreigners have used forged birth certificates to impersonate Filipino citizens to acquire properties and even attempt to run for public office. However, recovering these illegally obtained assets from foreigners is not easy, and the cases are mainly handled under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA).
"We hope that Congress can pass this bill as soon as possible, establishing a specific civil forfeiture law targeting the illegal acquisition of assets by foreigners, thereby improving law enforcement efficiency and preventing such issues from occurring," Guevarra added.
If the proposal is passed, it will help the Philippine government more quickly cancel the fake documents related to POGO and recover illegal assets. There is high interest in the progress of this bill, with hopes that Congress will accelerate the legislative process.
