Since the Philippines completely banned offshore gaming operators (POGO), despite the government's series of crackdown measures, many POGO remnants continue to operate within the Philippines and are involved in a series of serious crimes. Recently, cases of kidnapping, fraud, illegal detention, and harboring stolen goods have occurred frequently, causing a huge impact on the social security of the Philippines.
Yesterday, an incident at the British School Manila (BSM) in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), where a student disappeared after school and was kidnapped for ransom, has caused widespread panic.
Reportedly, the 14-year-old boy was picked up by his driver after school as usual, but then lost contact!
Latter, the driver was found murdered, and the boy had one of his little fingers cut off! It turned out that the kidnappers used this as a threat to demand a ransom of 20 million US dollars from the family! Fortunately, after the ransom was paid, the boy returned home safely.
However, according to police investigations, the perpetrators are likely to be remaining POGO employees!
That is to say, after kidnapping chefs, wealthy businessmen, and armrest women, these ruthless kidnappers have now targeted minors under the age of 18!
The kidnappers are certainly hateful, and the security capabilities of the Philippines are also questionable!
Crime Still Rampant After POGO Ban
Although Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a complete ban on POGO as early as July 2024 through Administrative Order No. 14, which stipulates the complete termination of all related businesses, a large number of POGO employees still remain in the Philippines, turning to illegal activities. They hide in resorts and apartments, trying to conceal their whereabouts as much as possible.
On February 20, the Philippine President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) raided an illegal POGO center in Barangay Caloocan City, arresting 453 suspects, including 137 Chinese citizens, among whom were also 5 Chinese leaders. Preliminary investigations found that the center was involved in various fraud schemes, such as stock investment scams and sports betting fraud, mainly targeting Chinese and Indian citizens.
More worryingly, some criminals are even involved in kidnapping and illegal detention. Previously, the Philippine police raided an offshore gaming operator and found that the institution illegally detained victims and forced them to engage in fraud through human trafficking.
These cases indicate that although the POGO ban has been implemented, related criminal activities are still lurking and not eradicated.
Afterwards, PAOCC stated that it is considering filing criminal charges against the owner of the commercial building that has been long rented to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), and plans to confiscate the building by law to curb the spread of illegal gambling activities.
It is reported that the owner is also a Chinese businessman! Currently, law enforcement is intensifying efforts to confirm his identity and investigate his financial sources and shareholder information!
Luxury Cars Conceal Stolen Goods, POGO's Behind-the-Scenes Forces Still Rampant
Recently, the Philippine police also discovered that some former POGO employees and their financial backers are still secretly conducting illegal asset transfers and money laundering. Between February 13 and 19, multiple inspections were conducted in warehouses in cities such as Makati, Taguig, Parañaque, and Pasay. During a raid on a high-end car dealership, Auto Vault Speed Shop in Taguig City, customs authorities seized 44 smuggled luxury cars worth a total of 900 million pesos, including Ferrari, Maserati, and Rolls-Royce.
These luxury cars are suspected to originate from POGO illegal funds and entered the Philippine market through secret channels. Officials from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) stated that this is one of the largest luxury car concealment cases in recent years. The location is suspected to be the garage of POGO bosses who have already left the country! However, the boss denied any association with the import or storage of these luxury cars, claiming to only provide car cleaning and maintenance services.
The head of the Customs Investigation Division stated: "They must submit valid documents to clarify the legal source and storage purpose of these vehicles to avoid being charged." That is, either submit complete tax and customs proof within 15 days to prove that the car is yours. Otherwise, wait to be charged!
Are Local Officials Condoning POGO? Pasay City Government Under Scrutiny
In the process of cracking down on POGO, the Philippine government has also found that some local government officials may be involved in sheltering or condoning illegal POGO activities. For example, Pasay City has recently become a focus of attention due to multiple raid operations. PAOCC officials revealed that they are investigating some officials in Pasay City and Lapu-Lapu City, suspecting that they still provide operational convenience for POGO after the ban was implemented, and even benefit from it.
In response, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano strongly denied the accusations, stating that PAOCC's allegations are "baseless" and that the city government adopts a "zero tolerance" policy towards POGO.
However, despite what is said, the government's ongoing investigations indicate that illegal POGO is still operating secretly, and may be protected by some local forces. If there were no forces sheltering them secretly, these illegal POGO centers would not dare to continue operating in Pasay. They would have moved to other islands or resort areas long ago!
POGO's Legacy Issues Affect Philippine Social Security
Although the Philippine government has introduced strict policies and taken strong crackdown actions, the residual forces of POGO still pose a threat to social security. Kidnapping, fraud, human trafficking, and illegal financial transactions are rampant, putting more pressure on the Philippine government internationally.
According to data from the Philippine police, from January 20 to February 18, a total of four kidnapping incidents were recorded, occurring in Taytay Town of Rizal Province, Digos City of South Davao Province, Manila City, and Lipa City of Batangas Province. All victims were Chinese!
It seems that the Philippine government still needs to strengthen law enforcement. In addition to investigating the financial backers behind illegal POGO, they also need to manage public security properly! If public security is not well managed and internal corruption and sheltering continue, it will take a long time for the Philippines to eliminate the hidden dangers left by POGO!
