The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Tuesday, Oct. 15, that it will soon arrest at least four alleged financiers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) facilities that are of Chinese and Malaysian-Chinese descent.
PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio (PTV screenshot)
During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio disclosed that they are closing in on these financiers and might make arrests in a few days or weeks.
“Most of them are Chinese and we got a few who are Malaysian-Chinese. So, may lead po tayo (we have a lead),” he stated, adding that they are currently monitoring these individuals and developing cases against them.
“In the next few days, weeks siguro makukuha natin lahat ng mga ito (maybe we can arrest them).”
Calling them POGO and “junket financiers,” Casio said the evidence against these individuals are “solid” because they’ve been monitoring them for so long.
“I’m sure hindi lang apat ‘yan. Mayroon pa ibang kasama mga ‘yan (they’re not just four. They have others with them) pero, so far, apat ang aming minamanmanan ngayon (but, so far, we’re monitoring the four),” he added.
While the PAOCC earlier said that POGO operations have significantly decreased since President Marcos ordered a ban on them last July, Casio admitted the challenges of coming after those operating underground.
“So, there are a good number of them (underground operations) and we are having difficulty catching up,” he shared.
The President had given until the end of this year for relevant government agencies to close down all POGO hubs because of their involvement in criminal activities.
Casio assured that the task force’s mandate will continue beyond Dec. 31.
“So, tuluy-tuloy lang kami. Assuming na may matira pa (we will continue our mandate. Assuming that some POGOs will remain) beyond December, we still go after them and close them down,” the official stressed.