Cebu City – In an effort to combat illegal online gambling, Cebu City authorities are intensifying inspections of e-game and internet entertainment hubs. Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia announced a new initiative during a press conference on Tuesday, aimed at ensuring these establishments are not operating as fronts for Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs).
According to Philippines News Agency, the crackdown involves close coordination with the Cebu City Police Office. The BPLO has not found any businesses registered as POGOs so far, confirming that all inspected internet gaming centers are legally registered. “You can see computers there. But they are legal. However, we are just making sure that they are not doing any illegal act like POGOs,” Garcia stated.
This initiative follows a recent raid by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and other law enforcement units on a suspected POGO hub in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, where 162 foreigners and 10 Filipino women were rescued. The move is part of a broader policy directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who called for a nationwide ban on POGOs during his third State of the Nation Address in July. Garcia has tasked the BPLO and local police with ongoing surveillance and enforcement to prevent the illegal operation of these gaming hubs.