In July 2024, a sudden ban on POGO was announced, declaring a comprehensive crackdown on POGO. However, as there are policies above, there are countermeasures below, and numerous small-scale "guerrilla squads" began to appear within the Philippines. In response, the Philippine government also timely adjusted its arrest policies, adopting more precise strikes.
Today, although large POGO companies have almost disappeared and it seems calm, in reality, undercurrents are surging, and some small operating teams are still secretly operating, forcing the Philippine government's crackdown to continuously escalate.
From Large to Small Scale: The Spread of POGO "Guerrilla Squads"
With the end of 2024, the Philippine government gradually increased its crackdown on POGO. Many large POGO companies, for safety reasons, were forced to exit the Philippine market, a significant portion of which fled to Thailand, while others moved to Cambodia, Myanmar, and border areas.
However, in the Philippines, some small-scale "guerrilla squads" still exist. These illegal operating groups, usually consisting of 15 to 20 people, are much smaller than the previous 300 to 500 people per POGO center, not only easier to conceal operations but also more flexible in mobility!
Marlon Quimno, the head of the Philippine Criminal Investigation Group (CIDG) in the capital region, also stated that although large-scale POGO has almost disappeared, small teams still exist and operate in a more secretive manner. Through decentralized operations, these small teams often hide in office buildings, resorts, and other places, continuing illegal gambling activities.
To capture these personnel, officials in some highly sensitive areas of the Philippines are also required to write written reports, reporting whether there are illegal POGO operations in the area. Whether they have written or not, it is certain that some officials in areas where illegal POGO operations centers have appeared, such as the Mayor of Pasay, have been publicly questioned by Philippine congressmen, whether they are covering up these illegal acts.
The Focus of the Crackdown Expands to Greater Manila
As these large groups disperse into small teams, the Philippine police's crackdown has also gradually expanded from initially focusing on cities like Makati, Pasay, and Parañaque to the entire Greater Manila area. CIDG recently stated that the investigation will further cover the entire Greater Manila area, aiming to completely eradicate this problem.
The most notable recent incident was a raid conducted by the Philippine police on the ATI office building in Parañaque a few days ago, where a small-scale POGO operated by Chinese was discovered, and more than 450 people were arrested! A significant number of them were Chinese, and 18 Chinese were formally charged with violating the human trafficking law, and the case has been transferred to the Department of Justice!
This case has once again drawn public attention to the POGO issue, also putting more pressure on the Philippine security management.
Kidnapping and Fraud Cases Frequent, Crime Rampant
Apart from POGO operations themselves, personnel from illegal gambling gangs are now involved in kidnapping, fraud, human trafficking, and other criminal activities. Recently, a 14-year-old student from an international school in the Philippines was kidnapped after school and extorted, and even had a finger cut off, shocking the entire Chinese community in the Philippines!
It is worth noting that the victim attended the British School Manila, one of the top aristocratic schools in the Philippines, where tuition fees alone are millions of pesos, equivalent to hundreds of thousands of yuan! Moreover, the school adopts the British national curriculum system (IGCSE and A-Level), with many graduates entering world-renowned universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard. Truly an elite school!
And yet, this student was kidnapped in the BGC campus. This is no longer a school security issue, but a government security issue!
After police investigation, this case was found to be related to the remaining POGO employees, further highlighting the hidden dangers of POGO residual personnel.
The Philippine police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) themselves said that although POGO is banned, a large number of POGO employees still remain in the Philippines and turn to more secretive criminal activities, especially targeting foreigners and minors, with frequent criminal cases.
In the past month alone, there have been four reported cases of Chinese being kidnapped. Adding to previous cases of chefs, pet shops, and women being kidnapped, and now this student... Some residual POGO personnel have become so ruthless that they not only harm their compatriots but even do not spare minors!
Legal and Compliant: Going Overseas to Make Money, But Safety First!
According to data from the Philippine government, there are still nearly 11,000 illegal employees remaining in the Philippines, whether their documents are confiscated or they stay voluntarily, this number is clearly not small. From the recent series of incidents, we can see that there is a huge safety crisis behind this.
No wonder the Philippine government is continuing to carry out more stringent crackdown operations, especially focusing on monitoring and clearing "small guerrilla squads"! But speaking of which, small teams of a dozen people, if really hidden in resorts, apartment buildings, and other places for office work! Not only are they not easy to detect, but they are also not easy to monitor! Cracking down on them is much more difficult than large-scale POGO centers!
Meanwhile, some POGO companies that once operated in the Philippines are also facing difficulties in continuing their operations. Earlier, after the specific decrees of the POGO implementation came out, many companies tried to escape the constraints of the POGO order by changing types and operating in economic zones, but seeing the recent relentless arrests by the Philippines, capturing hundreds of people, it is clear that "the most dangerous place is the safest place" is not to be believed!
Moreover, according to netizens, like some old POGO companies still in the Philippines, all employees have obtained regular work visas!
But this is obviously not a long-term solution. Obtaining a work visa through regular channels does not mean that you can operate stably for a long time, but may instead bring more legal risks! They could accuse you of having no valid operating documents, engaging in illegal activities, convict you, and deport you, and you would have no way to express your grievances!
Now, every official in the Philippines is afraid of being associated with POGO. No matter what happens privately, if you are really caught and accused of negligence, it is very likely that you will become the target of public criticism!
For businesses and individuals hoping to "go overseas to make money" in the Philippines, a legal and compliant operating mode is the only way to ensure long-term stable profits. If only the visa is legal, but the business is still the same old thing, it will eventually break down.
Moreover, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also spoke out: willing to strengthen cooperation with the Philippine side, jointly combat crime, and urge the Philippines to completely solve the offshore gambling industry's stubborn problems as soon as possible. It's almost like saying directly: "Need help?"
Looking around, the entire Southeast Asia is determined to combat telecommunications fraud, offshore gambling, and other criminal activities, with cooperation between countries not only close but also frequent, unlike the superficial efforts of the past. So just dispersing the team and hiding everywhere is definitely not a long-term solution!
Final Thoughts
The Philippine crackdown on POGO has now entered a new phase, shifting from targeting large companies to precise strikes on small "guerrilla squads"! Despite the ban, these illegal gambling activities are still rampant, and a series of other criminal problems have also arisen. The continuous crackdown on POGO is urgent, and the security situation in the Philippines is not optimistic!
For businesses and individuals, being legal and compliant is important! How to make money while ensuring safety is indeed difficult!
