Authorities eye Pogo hubs shifting to Visayas, Mindanao

Philippine authorities, led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), are monitoring potential shifts of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs to the Visayas, Mindanao, and Northern Luzon regions.

PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz stated that approximately 80% of the roughly 400 POGO hubs previously under surveillance have ceased operations.

Cruz cautioned that the cessation of operations for some POGO hubs does not necessarily mean a complete shutdown, and authorities are now pursuing smaller-scale "guerilla" operations.

These smaller operations, often involving foreign nationals and Filipino keyboard operators, are typically conducted by groups of 20 to 50 individuals renting apartment spaces and have been reported in areas like the Visayas and Mindanao.

Around 27,000 of 40,000 POGO workers in the country have already been deported by the Bureau of Immigration.

Some individuals operating the POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, were able to escape and continued their illegal activities mostly in the Visayas.

This monitoring follows President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s directive issued in July 2024, which ordered a crackdown on existing POGO hubs due to their links to criminalities and abuses.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has tasked local chief executives to be vigilant for any suspicious activities in their areas.

PAOCC's coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) is effective in filing cases against these POGO operations.