THE government has launched a crackdown on illegal Philippine offshore and gaming operators (POGOs), several run by Chinese firms, as calls to ban these activities mount due to their alleged links to criminal syndicates.
Around 250 to 300 offshore gambling firms are operating in the Philippines without a license, around six times more than the 46 legitimate gaming operators, Alejandro Tengco, chairman of state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), told Reuters in a phone interview Thursday.
"Together with the police, we search for these illegal operators, conduct raids, and shut them down," Tengco said.
The Department of Justice has recommended a "whole-of-government approach" in handling the issues surrounding the POGO industry.
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said Thursday the POGO-related problems impact not only certain communities but the entire country.
Vazquez made the recommendation after a series of raids by authorities on POGO hubs revealed they were engaged in human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping, cyber scams, and other illegal activities.
"The social cost, public safety, national security even, because many are suspecting that many of these Chinese who are there may have national security issues. It's now a whole-of-government approach in respect to this," he said.
Vasquez said it is time to asses "whether or not the advantages outweigh the serious and grave social cost and public safety consequences of the POGO industry."
Also on Thursday, Senate President Francis Escudero suggested to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro to discuss his concern about POGO hubs near military bases with Pagcor.
Escudero said he agrees with Teodoro that some POGOs "do not operate as intended."
"All illegal POGOs should be closed, whether they are close to our military bases or not, and their perpetrators arrested," he said.
If Teodoro was also referring to legal POGOs, Escudero suggested that Teodoro discuss this "national concern" with Pagcor.
Escudero had said it would be hypocritical for the government to ban all POGOs. That is why he opposed the report released by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means that recommended a total ban.
He pointed out that even before POGOs became popular, the government was struggling to deal with smuggling, prostitution, killings, kidnappings, and illegal drugs perpetrated by those playing in the country's casinos.
Pagcor has said alien hacking and scam syndicates are the real threat to national security, not legitimate and licensed offshore gaming operators.
Tengco said legitimate internet gaming licensees contributed more than P5 billion to the agency's gross revenues in 2023.
"We should not blame and demonize our licensed gaming operators because Pagcor closely monitors these," he said. "Our licensees pay taxes and help provide legitimate jobs and livelihood to many people."
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Ricardo De Leon answer questions from the media on various issues including the West Philippine Sea, protection of Philippine aquatic resources and POGO threats during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay on June 12, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE ALQUINTO
In 2019, former Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana raised concerns about the proximity of casino and POGO sites to critical military installations. He said Chinese workers in POGO facilities could be engaged in espionage.
Trojan horse
Security expert Chester Cabalza said POGOs near military facilities could be a "Trojan horse" that China could use to launch a surprise attack.
Island Cove, a former island resort in Kawit, Cavite, has been transformed into a POGO site. It lies a few kilometers from Sangley Point, a former US base.
There are Chinese-run casinos and POGO sites in Metro Manila that are near military installations, including the armed forces' headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City, the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Pasay City; the Philippine Army headquarters in Taguig City; and the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila.
In a statement on Thursday, Sen. Loren Legarda also considered POGOs "a national security threat."
Legarda said "recent discoveries have been very alarming on the human rights and national security fronts."
Law enforcement authorities, she said, must "deport the mainland Chinese who are illegally operating the POGOs, especially those involved in criminal activities."
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said that aside from security concerns over POGO operations near Philippine military bases, reports that some 250 other hubs are operating without licenses "should prompt our concerned authorities to conduct a crackdown on these illegal entities."
Estrada said if the Pagcor has enough evidence, it should not think twice in shutting down illegal or unlicensed POGOs.
He said the Bureau of Immigration, working with Pagcor, should cancel the visas of foreign workers in unlicensed POGOs and immediately deport them.
Estrada said Filipinos do not benefit from the continued presence of illegal POGOs in the country.
"Aside from their nonpayment of taxes, they commit crimes and violation of our laws," he said in Filipino.
Following the discovery of what appeared to be Chinese military uniforms inside a POGO site in Porac, Pampanga, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said Thursday that the PNP is fully prepared in case Chinese military personnel have infiltrated the country.
WITH REUTERS