MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveors flagged on Monday what she dubbed as possible “rebranding” of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) following President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement to completely ban such firms in the country.
In a statement, Hontiveros said Senate hearings have established that Pogos are run by organized and syndicated criminal groups complicit with some public officials.
“Kaya tayo nagsusumikap sa ating mga hearing sa Senado ay upang makahanap ng mabisang solusyon para tuluyan na ngang mapasara ang mga Pogo sa Pilipinas,” she said.
(That’s why we are working hard in our hearings in the Senate to find an effective solution so that Pogos in the Philippines can be shut down.)
“Kaya determinado rin tayong panagutin ang mga opisyal na nagbigay-daan at patuloy na nagpapatakbo sa mga ito,” she added.
(That’s why we are also determined to hold accountable the officials who allowed and continued to operate them.)
Hontiveros proceeded to lament the “continuous underground operations” of Pogos in the country, prompting her to call on law enforcement agencies to step up in acting on the total ban ordered by Marcos.
“Dapat hindi na maulit pa ang mga ganitong modus, kabilang na ang pagsulpot ng iba’t ibang ‘rebranding’ ng Pogo. Andyan ang mga balitang magiging call center daw ang mga Pogo o itatago sila sa special economic zone, at iba pang mga hocus-pocus na hindi dapat mapahintulutan,” she said.
(Such modus operandi should not be repeated, including the apparent rebranding of Pogo. There are reports that the Pogos will be called call centers or they will be hidden in the special economic zone, and other hocus-pocus that should not be allowed.)
Hontiveros’ remarks came following the discovery of Visayas’ first illegal Pogo hub in Cebu. Authorities said 162 foreign nationals were rescued from the Pogo firm, including six Indonesians the authorities were initially searching for.
READ: Raided illegal Pogo hub in Cebu nets 162 foreign workers
For the opposition senator, the rescue of these individuals highlights the urgent need to enforce Republic Act No. 12010 or the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA).
Hontiveros said the government should not allow the country to become a headquarters for scammers.
“These cunning scam hub operators are transnational. Sa mga hearing sa Senado, nabanggit na nabubuhay ang mga hubs na ito dahil sa forced labor ng mga biktima ng human trafficking, Pilipino man o dayuhan. Under AFASA, this is economic sabotage,” Hontiveros pointed out.
(It was mentioned in Senate hearings that these hubs survive because of the forced labor of victims of human trafficking, whether Filipinos or foreigners. Under AFASA, this is economic sabotage.)
In a separate statement also issued Monday, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the presence of a Pogo hub in Cebu proves that there is a lot more to be done to combat such firms.
“The presence of former Pogo workers from Bamban and Porac at the recently raided Pogo hub in Cebu suggests that we may have only scratched the surface of the issue. A deeper probe is clearly necessary,” said Gatchalian.
Similar to what was stated by Hontiveros, Gatchalian said Pogo operators and agents appear to only “flout the law” by only shifting from one location to another.
“We need stricter enforcement and more comprehensive measures to ensure that these operations are permanently shut down,” he said.