SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said majority of crimes related to the operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) involved human trafficking.
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, said this is an indication that organized criminal groups tied to the offshore gaming industry may be operating in the country.
“This is concerning and alarming and can have serious implications on the country’s national security,” stressed Gatchalian, whose committee spearheaded an inquiry on POGO operations in the country.
Gatchalian said he based this on data provided by the National Bureau of Investigation showing that POGO-related crimes have totaled 113 from November 2019 to March 2023.
Based on the data provided by the NBI, a total of 65 or 58 percent of the total number of cases involved human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that exploits the most vulnerable in our communities and the data from the NBI shows that some POGO operators are into human trafficking too.
We cannot allow such horrific crimes to happen in our country,” Gatchalian said.
To recall, the Senate held several hearings into the socio-economic benefits of maintaining POGO operations in the country following numerous reports of crimes attributed to the industry.
Following the public hearings, Gatchalian called for the immediate closure of POGOs in the country in a bid to help maintain peace and order and sustain economic growth.
He said that aside from the 65 cases of human trafficking, the NBI report also shows there were 33 cases of international operations that were investigated, seven cases of cybercrimes, four anti-organized and transnational crimes, three cases of fraud, and one case of anti-violence against women and children — all related to POGO.
Last year, the Department of Finance said POGO-related crimes may result to the country losing from P16.7 billion to P26.2 billion in direct foreign investments.
