Pagcor: Foreign hackers, scammers, not POGOs, are national security threat

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) stated that foreign hacking and scam syndicates, rather than legitimate offshore gaming operations (POGOs), pose the greatest threat to national security.

Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco emphasized that the real danger comes from underground criminal syndicates, not licensed IGLs, who are cooperating with law enforcement agencies to dismantle them.

Tengco stated that PAGCOR has no need to outlaw POGOs, but instead needs to intensify anti-crime operations against suspected alien hackers, scammers, and cyber-criminals.

He also mentioned that these syndicates are not engaged in offshore gaming at all, and even if they are, they are doing it illegally.

The Pagcor chief defended licensed gaming operators, stating they contribute to the economy through taxes and job creation, and are closely monitored by Pagcor.

Pagcor has deployed monitoring teams to ensure compliance within the physical venues of all licensed gaming operators.

This statement follows a recent raid on a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, where authorities seized bundles of cash, assorted jewelry, and suspected illegal drugs from at least seven buildings.