Pasay City—Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday emphasized that the government’s crackdown on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) is far from finished, following a recent enforcement action close to the Senate building.
According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian lauded the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission’s successful raid, but underscored the need for increased collaboration between national authorities, local governments, and relevant agencies to ensure the complete cessation of POGO activities. “Despite the President’s explicit orders to halt these operations, POGOs have audaciously continued their activities, even behind the very institution that has been investigating their associated problems,” Gatchalian remarked in a public statement.
The illicit POGO facility was located in the Kimberhi Building along Macapagal Boulevard, merely 650 meters from the Senate, where it was operating in clear defiance of governmental directives. In his third State of the Nation Address on July 22, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared a nationwide ban on POGOs and instructed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to end all POGO operations by year’s end. Additionally, the Department of Labor and Employment has been tasked with assisting displaced workers.
PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco indicated that the process to wind down POGO operations would commence this month. Moreover, the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality plans to resume its inquiry into the issues surrounding POGOs on October 8.
Gatchalian’s statement points to a significant push to eradicate an industry that has repeatedly been linked to criminal activities, signaling a comprehensive governmental effort to address and resolve the challenges posed by POGOs.