Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros has restated her call to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the implementation of a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) operations in the country.

During Wednesday’s continuation of the Senate investigation into the potential national security implications of POGO operations, Hontiveros highlighted the discussion of a total POGO ban. She emphasized that representatives from various security and government agencies, in a four-hour executive session, revealed POGO operations as a threat to national security.

“After the executive session, there was a unanimous call for the National Security Council (NSC) to address the issue of POGO as a national security threat to the President,” Hontiveros informed reporters.

While she refrained from disclosing specific details discussed during the executive session, Hontiveros characterized the concerns raised by relevant agencies as “grave.”

“I anticipate that the NSC, as a government entity, will bring this matter to the President’s attention for him to provide a statement on the threat posed by POGO,” she added.

As the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, Hontiveros stressed the urgency for the national government to confront the POGO issue.

“It is imperative to act decisively now because there is no assurance that this does not pose a threat to our national security. This longstanding issue has inflicted significant harm. Failure to address it effectively now will perpetuate the problem for years to come,” she asserted.

Addressing the unresolved controversies surrounding Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Hontiveros disclosed that discussions during the executive session touched upon this matter. Guo’s connection to Zun Yuan Technology Inc., a POGO firm allegedly involved in illicit activities such as human trafficking and hacking, remained a focal point.

“I am confident that the cases filed by various government agencies, as well as those yet to be filed, will be substantial and robust,” Hontiveros stated. “The truth is being unearthed not from Mayor Alice Guo’s testimony but from comprehensive investigations conducted by government agencies.”

Earlier in the week, Guo and two other local government officials faced up to six months of preventive suspension imposed by the Ombudsman. This disciplinary action followed graft complaints filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government over Guo’s alleged involvement in the raided POGO hub in her jurisdiction.