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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC issues rules on forfeiture of POGO-related assets

SC issues rules on forfeiture of POGO-related assets

Published Aug 9, 2026 06:32 pm
The Supreme Court (SC) has laid down the Rule on Civil Forfeiture of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO)-related assets under the 2025 law that banned their operations in the country.
The Rule will take effect on Aug. 24, 2026 or 15 days after its publication in two newspapers on Aug. 9, 2026.
Under the Rule, the case for civil forfeiture should be filed before the regional trial court (RTC) which has territorial jurisdiction over the area where the POGO-related assets are located.
If a portion of the POGO-related assets is located outside the country, the Rule provides that the petition for civil forfeiture may be filed with the RTC of the City of Manila or with the RTC having jurisdiction over the area where the portion of such POGO-related assets is located in the country.
The Rule states that the petition for civil forfeiture should contain a detailed inventory of the POGO-related assets sought to be forfeited.
The petition for civil forfeiture may be filed for the government “through the law enforcement authorities and/or any of the government agencies directly involved or that participated in the seizure, taking into custody, or investigation of POGO-related assets, as represented by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) or its deputized representative.”
The Rule was issued in line with Section 15 of Republic Act No. 12312, the Anti-POGO Act, which was signed into law by President Marcos on Oct. 23, 2025, and which bans the establishment, operation, or conduct of offshore gaming in the country.
Section 15 of RA 12312 provides that all POGO buildings, facilities, materials, gaming equipment and paraphernalia should be forfeited in favor of the government.
The law mandated the SC to formulate rules of procedure governing the civil forfeiture of properties and proceeds related to illegal POGO operations.
The SC constituted a technical working group chaired by Associate Justice Raul B. Villanueva with Associate Justices Emily R. Alino-Geluz and Mary Charlene V. Hernandez-Azura of the Court of Appeals as vice chairpersons.
The Rule covers properties, tools, instruments, or any other assets owned or controlled by POGOs and/or their service providers, such as buildings or other structures or facilities, materials, gaming equipment and paraphernalia.
The Rule, on the other hand, prohibits the forfeiture of POGO-related assets “from an innocent owner, bona fide purchaser for value, or secured creditor, who establishes that he or she did not know and had no reason to know of the prohibited acts and did not consent to or participate therein.”
The Rule can be viewed at the SC website – sc.judiciary.gov.ph.
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