During the recent visit of congressmen led by Speaker Martin Romualdez to Central Luzon POGO hubs, particularly the raided Zum Yuan Technology Inc. in Bamban, Tarlac and the Lucky South 99 Gaming Inc. in Porac, Pampanga, they discovered the Baofu tunnels of Zum Yuan and the torture chambers of Lucky South.

They found military uniforms (fake or real), baseball bats (not for sports), and SIM cards left behind after the sudden raids. The Chinese perhaps knew they were going to be raided, so they must have had an elaborate warning system and advance intel.

Romualdez announced the Lower House is consolidating three related bills rendering POGOs illegal to strengthen PBBM’s POGO ban, which perhaps needs more teeth, considering loopholes like renaming POGO to IGL, and other street-smart Chinese tactics.

There is thus a silver lining on the dark POGO cloud hovering above us. At last, it is not hopeless at all, considering an observation in some media articles that the move to kill POGO would be hopeless due to the rampant high-stakes bribery of high government and military officials, law enforcers, et al. Now, it seems we are gaining the political will in spite of the Filipino traitors in our midst who have quietly become rich overnight.

The visiting congressmen included “public order and safety committee chairperson Dan Fernandez, games and amusement committee chairperson Antonio Ferrer, dangerous drugs committee chairperson Robert Ace Barbers, and public accounts committee chairperson Stephen Paduano.” (Source: Rappler, 5 August 2024).

Effects of POGO’s demise

What is really bringing POGO down is its link to Chinese organized crime, forcing legitimate businesses out of it, if they want to remain legitimate.

For example, the Lucio Tan-owned Eton Properties “is not worried about the exit of (POGOs) from the country despite the expected effect on Metro Manila’s office market.

Eton president Kyle Tan explained that Eton’s exposure to POGOs is “not super big,” yet it is still something they have to consider. (Source: Philstar, 5 August 2024). In other words, Tan is not overly worried but is concerned about some revenue loss.

There are three major effects of POGO’s demise that PBBM, the government and private business have to look into — 1) a sudden glut in office space and real estate, triggering a dive in prices; 2) sudden unemployment of thousands of displaced POGO workers; 3) the monstrous task of deporting illegal Chinese with fake immigration and travel papers, estimated in the millions.

A recent news report said some 30,000 will be sent home to China soon. Even this perhaps would require a year to process. But some Chinese also believe they need not be deported because they are voluntarily leaving the “POGO desert,” the source of all opportunity, hopefully. Except for the Chinese organized crime syndicates that may stay semi-permanently if there are new evil opportunities that emerge.

There is a prediction that there will be a massive POGO migration to neighboring Asian countries which are as vulnerable to bribery as the Philippines, or where they are legal.

Definitely, there will be a return to “normalcy” in the Philippines after the POGO whirlwind tainted by organized crime shall have dissipated.

Another effect will be the neutralization of POGO boys like Harry Roque, now beleaguered by never-ending Senate hearings and court cases. He may migrate to new POGO lands abroad, although his legal expertise in Philippine law may not be needed there.

The high government and military officials who accepted bribes must be identified so that this bribery will not happen again — part of the cleanup job.

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