According to the instructions of Mayor Amy Calixto-Rubiano, the Pasay City police have shut down 169 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) centers in the city starting from 2024.
Colonel Samuel Pabonita, the chief of Pasay City Police, stated that Mayor Rubiano had already directed the police to crack down on all illegal online gambling operators and related illegal gambling activities in Pasay City before the President announced the prohibition of Philippine online gambling operators.
From December 2023 to June 2024, 13 out of the 23 POGO centers that were shut down in Pasay City were required to cease operations for failing to meet the regulations of the Pasay City Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Pabonita noted that Mayor Rubiano has instructed the BPLO and the police to conduct regular inspections to ensure full enforcement of the President's directives.
He emphasized that the Mayor and the city police have adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of POGO operations, and by strengthening law enforcement and close cooperation with national authorities, they have demonstrated a firm stance.
Pabonita added that Pasay City is firmly against any disguised, temporary, or shell-type POGO operations.
