House bill prohibiting POGOs OK'd on second reading

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading a bill that would institutionalize a total ban on all forms of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country.

House Bill 10987, or the proposed “Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act,” was filed in October last year to legally reinforce President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to shut down all POGO operations nationwide due to their involvement in various criminal activities.

If passed into law, it will prohibit any person or entity from offering or conducting any offshore gaming operations in the country, including facilitating such activities through any means or device, accepting any form of betting, operating as a service provider, or constructing or maintaining operation hubs or structural complexes that house operations, as well as logistical, administrative, and support services for offshore gaming.

Establishing or providing any gaming laboratory or services, possessing offshore gaming paraphernalia, and aiding, protecting, or abetting the conduct of any of the aforementioned acts will also be deemed unlawful.

Despite the president's directive in July last year to ban all POGO operations by the end of 2024, only 80 percent have ceased operations, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in January.

The figure accounts for 400 POGOs in the country. Those defying the ban have reportedly resorted to guerilla-style or small-scale operations, employing 20 to 50 people, the PAOCC said.

The spate of illegal activities linked to POGOs not only prompted calls for total closure but also sparked an exhaustive congressional probe spearheaded by the House quad committee.

The ongoing House investigation has uncovered evidence linking POGO operations to illegal drug smuggling, with proceeds reportedly used by Chinese nationals to corrupt public officials, acquire land, and establish businesses in the country.

POGO operations are primarily dominated by Chinese nationals.

The investigation earlier revealed that at least 320 landholdings were registered under the name of Willie Ong and his alleged cohorts, purportedly the incorporators of Empire 999 Realty Inc., the real estate firm that owned the warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, where P3.5 billion worth of shabu was seized in September last year.

While POGOs have been deemed significant contributors to the country’s economy, providing jobs and billions in tax revenues, House lawmakers asserted that these "little economic contributions" are far outweighed by the social ills brought about by POGO operations.

These include money laundering, human trafficking, kidnapping, torture, murder, prostitution, and scams, among others.

Former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who is strongly linked to POGO operations, is one of the high-profile figures currently serving jail time for her alleged role in the proliferation of illegal activities associated with the industry in the country.