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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pagcor compliance office should do better vs illegal online gambling--Brian Poe

Pagcor compliance office should do better vs illegal online gambling--Brian Poe

Published Aug 20, 2025 06:18 pm

At A Glance

  • FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe has underscored the need to strengthen the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation's (Pagcor) Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Department (CMED) as far as illegal online gambling platforms are concerned.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe (Rep. Poe's office)
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe (Rep. Poe's office)


FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe has underscored the need to strengthen the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation's (Pagcor) Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Department (CMED) as far as illegal online gambling platforms are concerned.
According to the vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Pagcor's current system of merely forwarding illegal site reports is not enough to curb offshore operators preying on Filipinos.
“We need to strengthen the CMED of Pagcor, and we need to look into the processes of cease and desist with the NBI, CICC, and DICT,” Poe said on Wednesday, Aug. 20, referring to the National Bureau of Investigation, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, and Department of Information and Communications Technology, respectively.
“As it is, many people want to complain. They’re confused about the process. They believe Pagcor is the agency tasked with taking all of these sites down,” said the neophyte solon.
The appropriations panel held its briefing with Pagcor on the P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) or proposed national budget on Wednesday.
Pagcor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alejandro Tengco says CMED is one of the agency's largest units. It receives around 2,000 complaints a month, 60 percent of which involve unlicensed operators.
While CMED has been effective in gathering evidence and in reporting illegal activities, Tengco admitted that Pagcor has no legal authority to close down illegal sites directly, and must rely on other law enforcement agencies to execute takedowns.
Tengco disclosed in the hearing that the agency has so far identified 12,000 illegal online gambling sites targeting Filipinos. Of these, 8,000 have been blocked or shut down through referrals to other agencies, including the DICT, NBI, CICC, and PNP Cybercrime Group.
Still, Poe said that thousands remain active, including eight operators he raised during the hearing that are already earning an estimated $50 to 70 million every month, or nearly ₱82 billion in annual lost revenues.
He said these apps — Poppo Live, Awaz, Vone, BoloUP, Halla Live, Niki, Ximi Video Live, Gem Gala, Himme, and HiChat — masquerade as livestreaming or entertainment platforms but embed covert gambling mechanics that allow digital tokens to be converted into real cash.
Lawmakers argued that this fragmented process — where Pagcor can only act as a “referral body” — leaves Filipinos vulnerable to scams, fraud, and gambling addiction, while billions in revenues continue to slip away untaxed.
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