Despite the Philippine government's complete ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) and the expulsion of some involved foreign nationals, the main masterminds still hide within the country, continuing to engage in criminal activities such as fraud and kidnapping, even involving child abduction cases.
Philippine Senator Sherwin Gatchalian recently warned that although President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has ordered a thorough crackdown on POGO, some core members have not yet left the country and continue to operate "fraud nests" in secret. He pointed out that these illegal organizations not only kidnap each other but even involve innocent children, which is concerning.
"Some people enter the country with legal visas, while others deliberately conceal their whereabouts. Many who are stranded prefer to stay in the Philippines rather than return to China, where the regulations are stricter," added Gatchalian.
Winston Casio, the director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), stated that since February 13, the government, in collaboration with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other agencies, has conducted multiple raids, expelling about 2,000 illegal gaming personnel so far. However, about 10,650 related foreign nationals still remain in the Philippines, some of whom are still involved in criminal activities.
"In the coming weeks, we will continue to target more members of criminal groups, strengthen law enforcement, and ensure the complete eradication of illegal POGO," Casio emphasized.
According to statistics from Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), over the past year, gaming operators have vacated 274,000 square meters of office space, indicating a significant contraction of the industry. However, the illegal gambling network has not completely disappeared, and the government is still intensifying its crackdown to eliminate related criminal activities.
In the 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Marcos explicitly stated that the government will completely ban POGO by the end of 2024, emphasizing that the industry not only undermines the Philippine legal system but also leads to a surge in crimes such as kidnapping and fraud, posing a serious threat to public security.
As law enforcement actions continue to advance, the government is fully committed to eliminating the remaining POGO forces to restore social stability.
