Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero scored several government agencies for their seeming lack of proper coordination to eliminate the country's remaining Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
"Dapat kasi mag-usap ang Bureau of Immigration (BI), ang Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation at saka Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) (The BI, PAOCC, PNP, NBI, and the PAGCOR should coordinate and communicate with each other)," Escudero said in a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 27.
"Meron naman silang listahan. Ilan at sino sino ba ang mga dayuhan na pinayagan nilang pumasok dito kaugnay ng POGO. Ang problema sa kanila tila galit-galitan yata sila hindi sila nagcocoordinate at naguusap (They do have a list regarding how many and who exactly are the foreigners they allowed to enter in connection with POGO. The problem with them is that they seem to be acting angry, yet they don’t coordinate or communicate with each other)," he added.
Escudero said that it's very easy to determine their number and location since they need to renew their right to stay here in the Philippines, especially now that an order has been issued stating they should no longer have the right to remain here beyond Dec. 31, 2024.
"Sana, pa-igtingin nila ang kanilang koordinasyon kaugnay sa bagay na yan para sa gayon hindi napapahiya ang pamahalaan kaugnay sa pananatili ng ilan pang remnants ng POGO dito sa ating bansa (Hopefully they will strengthen their coordination regarding this matter so that the government is not embarrassed by the continued presence of some remaining POGOs in our country," he added.
Recently, a 14-year old foreign student was abducted after attending an activity of an international school in Taguig City. The student was later found abandoned along Macapagal Avenue in Parañaque City.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the kidnapping appeared to have been motivated by past operations of POGOs in the country.
On the other hand, over 400 foreign nationals were arrested after the shut down of a POGO hub in Pasay City condominium on Wednesday, Feb 26.
Senator Grace Poe said that remnants of illegal POGOs appear to be very much around even after the government ban.
According to her, the kidnapping of the Chinese student raises a grave public safety issue.
"It can't be business as usual for these ex-POGO operators that we have banished from our country," she said.
"Authorities must go after these syndicates without letup to show the true mettle of our laws," she added.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that the latest raid on a POGO hub in Pasay reinforces the urgent need for a stronger campaign to weed out these criminal organizations. He stated that this should serve as a wake-up call that the current efforts are insufficient.
"Habang may natitira pang mga POGO sa bansa, malinaw na hindi pa natin tuluyang nawawasak ang kanilang operasyon (As long as there are still POGOs in the country, it is clear that we have not completely dismantled their operations)," he said.
Gatchalian commended PAOCC for its relentless efforts against these POGOs. He said, however, that a whole-of-government approach is needed to fully dismantle these syndicates, adding that local government units (LGUs) must actively monitor and report remaining POGOs.
He also stated that BI must deport all arrested workers and their bosses immediately. The Department of Justice must swiftly file cases against them, while PAGCOR must strengthen enforcement to ensure no illegal POGO operates under its watch.