Gov’t seals POGO shutdown rules, Recto declares ‘final nail in the coffin’

The government on Wednesday signed a comprehensive set of rules aimed at shutting down the operations of Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs), with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto declaring the move as the “final nail in the coffin” of the controversial industry.

The newly signed Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) consolidate enforcement measures under Executive Order No. 74 and Republic Act No. 12312, both of which outlaw POGO operations and related activities in the country.

Recto, who presided over the signing ceremony at Malacañang, said the guidelines are designed not only to eliminate illegal gambling operations but also to prevent their reemergence under different guises.

“[This] will also clean up the mess the social scourge left behind, from trafficked people who need help, to the disposal of buildings in sprawling scam cities,” Recto said.

The SOP merges 15 existing laws and department orders into a single “omnibus action plan,” creating a unified and legally compliant workflow to combat illegal POGOs and illegal gambling licensees (IGLs).

It outlines procedures from intelligence gathering and law enforcement operations to evidence handling, prosecution, and asset preservation.

Leading the implementation is the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), which will serve as the principal coordinating agency.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will deploy prosecutors early in case buildup to strengthen evidence and improve conviction rates.

Financial tracking will also be intensified, with the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Securities and Exchange Commission tasked to trace illicit funds and corporate structures linked to illegal operations.

Recto said enforcement of the SOP will adopt a victim-centered approach.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide temporary shelter and assistance to trafficking victims, who will not be criminalized and may access the government’s witness protection program.

The SOP also sets clear rules for the management and maintenance of seized POGO assets, including properties in so-called “scam cities.”

‘A decision rooted in conscience’

In his speech, Recto credited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for issuing the ban in November 2024, describing it as a decisive step in dismantling an industry that failed to deliver its promised economic benefits.

“That directive was the first decisive step in dismantling an industry that had promised much in revenues and jobs, but in reality delivered little beyond immense suffering to countless Filipinos,” he said.

Recto added that the government had since acted with “speed, resolve, and boldness,” citing revoked licenses, law enforcement raids, and the eventual removal of POGOs from the national landscape.

He stressed that the goal of the strengthened rules is not merely to respond to crime, but to eliminate the conditions that allow it to thrive.

“[The POGO ban] is not simply to react to crime, but to deny it the space to regroup, the resources to survive, and the impunity to flourish,” Recto said.