THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is ramping up its operations against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and internet gaming licensees, particularly those attempting to operate under the guise of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, following the government’s total ban on POGOs.
PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. commended operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit and the Southern Police District, in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), for uncovering a POGO/IGL hub operating behind the façade of an IT-BPO firm in Upper McKinley Hills, Taguig City. This operation involved the enforcement of a warrant of arrest.
Nartatez emphasized that the PNP has launched intensified intelligence-driven operations against POGOs since President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. issued an executive order prohibiting them in the country. “The instruction to us is clear: Identify, validate and shut down all the remaining POGOs, particularly those that hide behind the names of BPOs or IT solution companies. We have been complying and we will continue to do so until all of them are gone,” Nartatez stated.
Nartatez also noted an emerging trend involving foreign nationals attempting to revive underground gaming hubs. “We are seeing a trend that some foreign nationals are continuing to try to set up underground operations despite the national ban. We are coordinating with the BI, NBI, and DFA to further tighten monitoring,” he said. He vowed that “no matter where they hide, they will be caught.”
The PNP is also coordinating with foreign counterparts to strengthen case build-up against these networks and operators, suspecting that some of these operators are connected to larger cross-border criminal networks.
Nartatez issued a stern warning: “If there are still individuals or groups planning to run POGO-like operations, they should stop because we will find you, we will shut you down, and we will file the strongest possible charges. We will not allow the country to be used for illegal operations that undermine the security, economy, and reputation of the Philippines.”
On December 1, the CIDG Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit, along with the PAOCC and Southern Police District, arrested a Chinese national wanted for estafa and discovered an alleged illegal online gaming hub posing as an IT-BPO company. Seventeen foreign nationals—12 Chinese, four Malaysians, and a Vietnamese—were arrested for operating the “pin77.com” platform without proper authorization from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The arrested individuals were charged with violations of Presidential Decree 1602 for illegal gambling, Republic Act 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and RA 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act. Eighty-three Filipino employees were identified as victims, claiming the company misrepresented itself as a legitimate business.
