Philippines, Manila—Government agents raided a suspected Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) center in the heart of the Makati City Central Business District (CBD) on Thursday evening, but failed to apprehend workers who escaped before law enforcement arrived.
A joint team composed of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC), the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), and the Makati police launched the operation after receiving a tip that a company acting as a scam center was operating in the PBCom Tower on Ayala Avenue.
The operation focused on the 7th floor of this 52-story building. Authorities found abandoned workstations in disarray, indicating that the workers had left in a hurry.
"The information we got was that it was actually a Pogo, a scam center. There are 21 companies, with different [company] names and different owner names," PAOCC Executive Director, Deputy Minister Gilbert Cruz told reporters during the raid.
Cruz said that over 600 foreigners were working on different floors of the building.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio stated that most of the foreign workers were Chinese.
PAOCC said in a statement that since 2017, the building had been a residence for some offshore gaming pioneers. Some of them have now relocated.
"Small gaming companies started here. Then they established large gaming companies, such as the centers in Tarlac Province's Bamban and Pampanga's Porac, and the large centers we have been looking for," Cruz said.
PAOCC noted, "Some rooms in the area showed signs of activity before the raid occurred."
"Many computers were still turned on, and uneaten food was found. Several scam scripts were also discovered in the area. Money vaults, company phones, and SIM cards were also hastily discarded," it added.
Violation of the Ban
Despite President Marcos's issuance of an executive order in November last year completely banning online gaming operations, suspected online gaming centers continue to operate.
The ban, covering companies including "online gaming license holders," requires shutdown by December 31, 2024.
The executive order was based on investigations into how offshore gaming companies serve as fronts for money laundering, fraud, and other illegal financial activities, while also recruiting human resources through human trafficking schemes.
Since the closure deadline passed, "guerrilla-type" online gaming companies are still visible, including one found in January at a resort in Silang town, Camarines Sur province.
