Senator Mark Villar raised the issue of the issuance of seemingly legitimate yet fake documents to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) workers by travel agencies.
Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Games and Amusements, presided over the second public hearing on the President’s directive to ban the POGOs.
It can be recalled that during his last State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Bongbong Marcos ordered the closure, prohibition, and winding down of operations of all POGOs in the country by the 31st of December 2024. Villar then filed a Senate resolution calling for an inquiry into the implementation of the President’s directive, prompting the initial hearing conducted a week after.
Since the initial public hearing, various developments have transpired in the government’s implementation of the POGO closure. Senator Mark probed into some developments, particularly the persisting presence of POGOs despite the lapsed deadline and the probable cause of their prolonged stay.
Villar raised the results of recent operations of the PAOCC, alluding to a new angle to the issue, “Last February 4, nagkaroon po ng joint entrapment operation ang PAOCC sa travel agency na nag-i-issue ng mga pekeng dokumento sa foreign nationals. Ilan sa kanilang mga napepeke ay marriage certificates, birth certificates, at passports ng mga foreign nationals na gamit ang Filipino name (On February 4, the PAOCC conducted a joint entrapment operation against a travel agency issuing fake documents to foreign nationals. Among the documents they were forging were marriage certificates, birth certificates, and passports for foreign nationals using Filipino names).”
It surfaced during the public hearing that some foreign POGO workers secured seemingly legitimate but fake documents with the help from travel and visa consultancy agencies.
Villar emphasized the possibility of an inside job within government agencies as these travel agencies appeared to have “connections” from the issuing government agencies.
“Kailangan po nating tingnan ang angulo na mayroong inside job. Possible na ito ang dahilan ng pagpapatuloy ng pagpasok ng mga foreign nationals sa Pilipinas gamit ang mga fake documents (We need to consider the possibility of an inside job. This could be the reason why foreign nationals continue to enter the Philippines using fake documents),” he said.
He added that together with PAOCC, they believe that this is the "missing link" in their investigation against POGOs. These illegal agencies issuing fake documents are certainly connected to various government agencies that issue these documents. It's not far-fetched to think that they have accomplices who help them issue fake documents to foreign nationals. This new discovery makes them realize that they have barely scratched the surface of this POGO issue.
Villar emphasized the negative impact inflicted to Filipinos, despite some Filipinos leading this charge for POGOs as part of the management.
The senator also mentioned that with the numerous issues that have emerged, they believe that the social costs of POGOs truly outweigh their supposed economic contributions. With all the reports of human trafficking, scamming, and abuse, he said that they cannot just sit idly by while these POGOs continue to operate in the country.
He added that their supposed economic contributions cannot compensate for the negative effects on citizens and that they need to ensure that we close down the POGOs as soon as possible and investigate those who are aiding their illegal operations.
Updates on the implementation will be further discussed with the agencies, alongside the deportation of these foreign POGO workers and the enforcement of similar sanctions to Filipino POGO workers who allegedly committed similar crimes, in succeeding public hearings.