The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Wednesday, August 2 assured legislators they are moving to address the gaps in its inspection of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). 
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, head of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, presides over the continuation of the public inquiry on the existence of ‘scam hub’ operations in the country that are allegedly hiding behind licensed gambling businesses of registered Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. (Senate PRIB Photo)

At the continuation of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality’s hearing into the alleged cybercrimes and human trafficking incidents in the country, the state gaming regulator said one of their proposals is to deploy interpreters during site inspections. Jessa Mariz Fernandez, assistant vice president for offshore licensing department, said they need interpreters who are well-versed in Chinese and Bahasa languages. “Because it’s possible po nag-uusap na pala sila or pinagbubulungan na pala ‘yung mga ating inspector pero hindi pa maintindihan (It is possible they are already talking or whispering about our inspectors yet they could not understand them) because we don’t have the manpower who can understand kung ano po ang pinag uusapan ng mga foreigners na nandun (what the foreigners inside are talking about),” Fernandez said responding to a question by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate women’s panel. Fernandez also said PAGCOR plans to employ more cybersecurity measures and equip their inspection team of knowledge about cryptocurrencies, cybercrimes and foreign languages.  She recalled that during the last hearing, witnesses have said they play songs or show cartoons to warn them that the agency’s inspection team is coming. “It’s just physical inspection by our monitoring team. They do not really delve on what is happening on the computers. This time we are focusing and we are addressing this kind of gap in the inspection,” she pointed out. Fernandez also admitted to the Senate panel that it was “a remiss on their part” when they failed to transmit or share to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) their report on POGOs that have badges of human trafficking and scam operations.  According to Fernandez, they still have “less than 10” reports that are in the process of being prepared.  To which Hontiveros said: “Being remiss, Ma’am, is really an understatement, kasi a month ago pa yung inspection, you’re still preparing the report. “So again, buti na lang itinuloy ng IACAT yung kanyang raid,” the senator said. Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, nevertheless, assured senators that PAGCOR has been coordinating with the IACAT. “PAGCOR has been coordinating with us. They’ve been submitting reports for particular establishments that are of interest. May mga nakapila naman na intel na primarily galing naman sa PAGCOR (We have lined up intel reports that primarily came from PAGCOR),” Ty said. For his part, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who has consistently called for the removal of POGO operations in the country, noted that the number of human trafficking victims being rescued is ballooning.  Gatchalian pointed out that just last May, there were 1,000 human trafficking victims rescued and another 2,700 victims were also rescued.  “The figure is pushing to 4,000 for this year alone. Are you still supporting the operation of POGO in our country?” Gatchalian asked Fernandez. Fernandez, however, responded saying that “while POGO exists, PAGCOR’s goal is to regulate it.” “But we will respect the Legislative or Executive branch if they decide to outlaw POGO,” the PAGCOR official said. But Gatchalian also responded that due to all of the POGO-related crimes rising the Philippines has now become a human trafficking hub, “not only a POGO hub, but the human trafficking hub of the world.” “So it's just common sense that POGO is not bringing any benefit to our country. It's bringing shame,” Gatchalian stressed.