Pasay mayor backs PAOCC raid on POGO hub, 455 Arrested

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), with the support of Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, conducted a raid on an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub on 26 February 2025.

The operation took place in the afternoon at a five-story building near a mall in Barangay 76.

Authorities arrested 455 individuals, including 404 foreign nationals from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Vietnam, while the rest were Filipinos.

Illegal activities uncovered

Mayor Calixto-Rubiano stated that the suspects were engaged in illicit activities, including love scams, investment scams, and cryptocurrency fraud.

PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, who was present during the raid, commended the Pasay City government for its relentless efforts to eliminate POGO operations in the city.

The mayor noted that she had already issued a directive to the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) and the Pasay City Police to crack down on illegal POGO operations.

Calixto-Rubiano emphasized that even before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced the total ban on POGO operations in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Pasay City government had already implemented countermeasures to curb their activities.

Since June 2024, 164 POGO hubs have been shut down in Pasay as part of the city's anti-POGO campaign.

The mayor reiterated that the city will continue operations against POGO hubs, particularly those operating under guerilla-type setups to evade authorities.