CV cops on alert vs POGO

CEBU, Philippines — Following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s ban on all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 vowed to strictly enforce the directive in Central Visayas.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, PRO-7 spokesperson, however, said that so far, the five licensed POGOs located in the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue have already been inactive.

He said in 2019, a PRO-7 operation along with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) led to the arrest of individuals involved in illegal activities under the guise of POGOs.

He said that successful operation was a result of a joint effort between law enforcement and the community.

“The main ingredient of this implementation is the support of the community. We would like to encourage everyone who has knowledge of any operation like POGO, can you please report it to us so that we can take action immediately?” Pelare said.

In his SONA, Marcos ordered the ban on POGOs and instructed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to “wind down and cease the operations of POGOs by the end of the year.”

In particular, Pagcor will handle the prosecution and gathering of evidence, while police operatives and other agencies will provide support.

“Of course, we help with intelligence monitoring. For example, we receive information, we process it then we coordinate with Pagcor for the appropriate action,” Pelare said.

He said that even if their monitoring showed that no POGO are in the region, they remain cautious, acknowledging that some operators might attempt to engage in other illegal activities or devise new strategies to continue their operations secretly.

“Diri na ta mag-focus so that we can still prevent or monitor those operators who will come up with a strategy to further or continue their operations which are now declared illegal,” Pelare said.

POGOs are gaming entities primarily serving clients overseas.

They, however, have evolved into entities involved in other illegal activities, including prostitution, extortion, and various other crimes.

Under then president Rodrigo Duterte's administration, the Philippines began licensing POGOs in 2016 to boost government revenue.

And despite concerns about alleged criminal activities and a report linking P14 billion in POGO transactions to suspicious activities, Duterte opted not to ban offshore gambling. — (FREEMAN)