Año: Banning POGO is a good decision

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country. 

“President’s stand on banning POGO is a good decision. I believe that the government will give those Filipinos working in the industry to transition,” he told Daily Tribune. 

Año stressed the debate of whether or not POGO should be banned will no longer be an issue. 

“We have seen POGOs’ negative effects linking it to criminalities,” he said. 

Año said the National Security Council (NSC) is prepared should other agencies and law enforcement ask for their assistance.

NSC is the principal advisory body tasked with the coordination of plans and integration of policies affecting the country’s national security. 

Senators were urging Marcos and the NSC to warrant a more serious classification from the NSC.

Año said there’s no need to elevate POGOs’ classification from a "national concern" to a "national security threat" as the President has already ordered a ban on POGOs nationwide during his third State of the Nation Address on Monday. 

“We will further strengthen our enforcement to prevent all these POGO operations and we will run after all of these illegal POGOs,” he said.

Año earlier said the existence of POGO sites in the country did not yet constitute a “national security threat” that would “necessitate the direct involvement of the defense forces.”

As their contribution to the POGO ban initiative, Año said the NSC will promptly act on Marcos’ order and immediately activate a multi-agency task force to implement necessary actions to gradually eliminate the offshore gaming industry in the country. 

Año noted that the National Intelligence Board, which he chairs, has a huge component to drive necessary operations based on intelligence information to close down existing illegal POGOs nationwide.