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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Garcia: Cebu City remains POGO-free

Garcia: Cebu City remains POGO-free

Published May 19, 2025 10:24 pm
CEBU CITY – Despite the arrest of 17 Taiwanese nationals, outgoing Mayor Raymond Garcia assured that this city remains free from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities.
Garcia issued the assurance following their arrest for allegedly running a romance scam inside the subdivision here.
A GROUP of Taiwanese was arrested for allegedly running a romance scam. (MyTVCebu)
A GROUP of Taiwanese was arrested for allegedly running a romance scam. (MyTVCebu)
He allayed fears that the suspects may be linked to POGO-like operations.
“Ever since I stepped in, we have already declared Cebu City POGO-free. In fact, it’s true that we are POGO-free. We have not received reports of POGO activity here. There may have been rumors, but this case is not related to POGO. This is fraud,” Garcia said in a press conference on Monday, May 19.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested the 17 foreigners in a raid last May 15. The suspects allegedly targeted their compatriots.
Garcia admitted that the illegal activity was a cause for concern but clarified it did not fall under the category of POGO operations.
The mayor said that the suspects allegedly carried out online fraud schemes, not offshore gaming or betting operations.
“This is a new type of scam, and while it is criminal in nature, it is not categorized as POGO. Nonetheless, it must still be addressed by authorities,” Garcia said.
The suspects face charges for violating Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and the newly enacted Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, which penalizes the use of social engineering and online deception to commit fraud.
Agent Ranier dela Cruz of the NBI Special Task Force said the group was busted after one of them was detected booking a flight from Manila to Cebu.
Six of the 17 arrested Taiwanese nationals are known members of the Four Seas Gang, a criminal group in Taiwan, and have outstanding arrest warrants related to drug trafficking, money laundering, and financial crimes.
The NBI is still conducting follow-up investigations to determine if they were in cahoots with Filipino contacts, said lawyer Van Angluben, executive director of the NBI Cybercrime Division.
“Once we confirm that this group is part of a syndicate involving local accomplices, we will pursue the appropriate charges,” Angluben said.

Related Tags

Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia Taiwanese Scammers Scam Romance scam POGO
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