Landlords enabling POGO operations face legal risk — PAOCC

Following the conviction of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo for qualified trafficking in connection with criminal activity in her POGO hub, Philippine Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Dr. Winston John Casio warned landlords against allowing guerilla operations of POGO-like activities on their properties.

Casio cited a related case submitted to the Department of Justice last Tuesday. The case involves the Lapu-Lapu Tourist Garden Hotel, allegedly enabling a POGO operation on its premises.

He said the Filipino-Chinese owner, who is elderly, claimed they were unaware of the alleged illegal activity on the property.

“You just cannot use the defense that 'I did not know.' You were letting them rent that place out for years. You see Chinese nationals coming in and out. You were told it was just a grocery or a hotel, but you saw our computer in the place you were renting out,” Casio said in Filipino.

“The law does not guarantee you a defense just because you don’t know,” he added.

The PAOCC spokesperson reminded landlords to vet their renters. He emphasized that if a criminal organization is caught using a property, the law could hold the landlord liable.

“The moral of the story is before you let some people rent your property or use your facility, learn who they are first. KYC: Know your Customer, because if they are caught and it is proven that your property is used by a criminal enterprise, we will chase that,” Casio said in Filipino.

Casio also highlighted government plans for POGO facilities in Pasay and Parañaque, which will be repurposed for public benefit.

“We will get all those, because we want the future generations to benefit from their use, because we are talking about billions of pesos here,” he said.

In December last year, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) converted a POGO hub in Pasay City into a “Walang Gutom Kitchen,” an initiative to fight hunger and minimize food wastage. The kitchen continues to serve freshly cooked meals to walk-in clients while engaging children in educational activities under the “Tara, Basa Tutoring Program.”

In addition to repurposing POGO facilities, PAOCC said it is intensifying its crackdown on illegal online gambling and offshore gaming, vowing to pursue all operators running unlicensed activities.