THE Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) yesterday said some 100 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) facilities continue to operate across the country despite the total ban ordered by President Marcos Jr. last July.
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz told a radio interview that while “many (POGO hubs) have already closed and others are winding down (their operations), we are still monitoring some” that continue to operate.
He said that the figure stood at more than 200 last month.
The President has given legitimate Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs), the repackaged name of POGOs, until the end of the year to wind down their operations and ordered the immediate shutdown of all illegal offshore gaming facilities.
Cruz said the commission now has a better picture of POGO operations in the country due to investigations conducted by various agencies, including the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“We already know the people who are involved in POGO, many names have already surfaced,” Cruz said, adding that POGO hubs which were previously “silent” have been identified and subjected to law enforcement operations.
On the possibility that the remaining POGO hubs will relocate to small islands, Cruz implied they would have difficulty doing this because “they need fast internet connection unless they are going to use satellite internet connection.”
“Even if they hide into smaller groups, the indicators (of their operation) will still be present (because) they are open at night…There are many indicators. Even if they go into smaller groups, we can still catch them,” he said.
Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is expecting illegal POGOs to shift to “guerilla-type” operations to evade authorities.
‘Lumalabas sa ngayon na hindi na kasinglaki ng Porac at Bamban. Madaming operasyon pero smaller scale na at di na umaabot ng isang daan ang nahuhuli at may malaking compound (We have carried out several operations but there is nothing as big as the ones in Porac and Bamban. Their operation is smaller in scale and the apprehended no longer reach a hundred and they don’t have large compounds unlike before),” he said.
Ty said authorities are adapting to the development. “Alam namin ‘yan kaya nag pivot na kami at nagbago ng operasyon para masugpo ang mga ito (We already know that, that’s why we have also changed our operation to get rid of them),” he said.
ALICE GUO LINK
Cruz said the PAOCC is looking into the connection of so-called POGO big boss Lin Xunhan, also known as Lyu Dong, with dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
Xunhan, who was arrested last Thursday night in Laguna, is supposedly involved in the operation of an illegal POGO in Laguna.
“He (Xunhan) is in charge of the operation of a large POGO in Laguna. We’re still establishing his connection to other POGOs like in Porac (Pampanga) and Mayor Guo’s POGO in Bamban (Tarlac). What we’re sure of is, he is in charge of the operation of the huge POGO in Laguna,” he said.
The PAOCC has said that a witness can prove the link between Xunhan and Guo. The witness supposedly previously worked for Xunhan and saw him giving money to Guo.
The witness has reportedly identified Guo as “Madam Hua.”
Guo’s Chinese name is Guo Hua Ping.
“We are investigating the connection of the two (Xunhan and Guo). Maybe in a few days, we’ll know it. We are still looking into it because Lyu Dong was arrested only recently. We’re still investigating,” Cruz said.
“The statement and the knowledge of the witness about the operation is important,” he also said.
Ty said the witness who has linked Guo to Xunhan, dubbed as the “godfather or boss of the bosses” of illegal POGOs, may be included in the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).
He said the inclusion of the witness in the WPP will depend on the agreement between the police and the prosecution.
“Maaari siyang papasok doon pero depende na ‘yun doon sa usapan nila ng law enforecment at tsaka ng mga piskal na nag-iinterview sa kanya (The witness can be admitted (to the WPP) but it will depend on the agreement between the witness, the law enforcement and the prosecutors),” Ty, who is also the undersecretary-in-charge of the DOJ-led Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, said at the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” media forum.
Ty said the testimony of the witness is expected to boost the government’s case against Guo considering that the DOJ already has more than enough evidence to pin her down.
“‘Yung halaga n’ya sa kaso dagdag ebidensya lang ito. Sa ngayon naman kasi para sa amin malakas na din ebidensya laban kay Alice Guo ([The testimony] can be used as additional evidence against Guo. But right now, we already have strong evidence against Alice Guo),” he said.
Guo is facing a non-bailable case for human trafficking before a Pasig court as well as a graft case before a Valenzuela court.
A quo warranto petition was also filed by the Office of the Solicitor General against Guo with a Manila court, as well as a petition to cancel her birth certificate before a Tarlac court.
She is also facing a tax evasion complaint, 87 counts of money laundering, and a perjury and falsification complaint before the Justice Department.
WORKING VISAS
The Bureau of Immigration reminded foreign POGO workers of today’s deadline to voluntarily downgrade their visas.
“Foreign POGO workers are given until 15 October 2024 to voluntarily downgrade their visas,” the BI’s advisory said.
Earlier, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said there will be no extensions for filing, and those who will file after October 15 will be ordered to immediately leave the country.
“We are expediting the downgrading process to comply with the President’s directive. We encourage POGO workers to file as early as possible to avoid complications,” Viado said last week.
Visa downgrading allows foreign nationals to revert their status from a work visa to a temporary visitor visa, thereby enabling them to remain legally in the Philippines for 59 days while winding down their affairs.
Viado said procedures have already been simplified to ensure compliance, adding that those who fail to downgrade by the deadline or leave the country by December 31 will face deportation and blacklisting to prevent their reentry to the country.
As of October 7, BI said over 10,000 visas of foreign nationals working in the POGO industry have complied with the agency’s directive and downgraded their visas. — With Ashzel Hachero
