After closing down major Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) hubs in Metro Manila, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is now turning its focus on small-scale POGO hubs in Visayas and Mindanao.
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz (PAOCC/Facebook)
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 14, that along with Visayas and Mindanao, they are also monitoring POGO operations in Northern Luzon.
“Nakatutok din tayo sa Visayas kasi may mga reports tayo na natatanggap na naglipatan (We are also focused in Visayas because we are receiving reports that they transferred there),” he shared.
He added that when the PAOCC began its operations against POGOs in Porac, Pampanga, some of those who escaped were monitored eventually in Visayas and Mindanao.
“But mostly, sa Visayas namin nakita (we see them in Visayas),” Cruz stated, adding that they usually form in groups of 20 to 50 people who stay in two rooms to conduct scamming activities.
They also have “foreign nationals” partners,” the official said.
The PAOCC was ordered by President Marcos in July 2024 during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) to crackdown on existing POGO hubs in the country, citing their links to criminalities and abuses.
Cruz said they already successfully closed down 80 percent of the initial 400 POGO hubs they monitored.
“But iyong pagtigil nila na ‘yon, it doesn’t mean na talagang totally tumigil sila. Iyon nga iyong hinahabol natin--mga small-scale (But closing them down doesn’t mean they totally stopped. That’s what we’re running after, the small scale),” he explained.
Data on the number of POGOs they were able to close down will be available by the end of the year, the official added.
Due to the closure of the POGO hubs, Cruz shared that some 27,000 out of the 40,000 POGO workers who entered the country were already deported by the Bureau of Immigration (BI).