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With POGOs out, 'guerilla scam ops' now emerging, says Hontiveros
Senator Risa Hontiveros has warned about the rise of "guerrilla scam operations" that are taking the place of illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in the country.
Hontiveros raised this concern during the Senate's plenary debates on the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
She questioned how the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) plans to address this emerging trend, which she believes is harder to detect than Pogo-related scams.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the budget sponsor for the DICT, reported that the CICC, in coordination with agencies like the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation, has already apprehended 11 scam hubs.
Gatchalian also mentioned that these agencies possess the technology to detect scam hubs and have a hotline for reporting such activities.
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Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for an increased intelligence fund for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to enhance operations against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
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Some large Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are rebranding as business process outsourcing (BPO) firms and relocating to the Visayas and Mindanao in smaller, decentralized groups.
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Senator Risa Hontiveros alleged that government officials are advising Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to disguise themselves as Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms to circumvent the industry ban.
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Interior Secretary Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Remulla has directed local government units (LGUs) to conduct inspections of establishments even after issuing occupancy permits to prevent illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) from disguising their operations as resorts and restaurants.
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The Philippine Senate concluded its five-year investigation into Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), revealing a "web of people" who exploited the industry for personal gain.
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