Manila Bulletin
PBBM serious in closing down POGOs that 'proliferated' under Duterte--Romualdez
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez vowed to hold accountable all individuals involved in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities.
Romualdez stated that these POGOs proliferated during the previous administration and that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s administration is seriously addressing the issue.
He reiterated the government's commitment to shutting down illegal POGO operations, aligning with President Marcos's directive to ban them within six months.
Romualdez led House officials in an ocular inspection of a large POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, previously raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
Investigations into illegal POGO operations have uncovered links to scam farms, love scams, human trafficking, prostitution, and pornography.
Romualdez emphasized the need for a "whole of government approach" and coordinated efforts among House committees to investigate abuses against workers and potential extrajudicial killings linked to POGOs.
Displaced individuals will be assisted by the government, provided they are not complicit in any wrongdoing.
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Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile expressed his full agreement with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision to implement a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
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Senator Joel Villanueva has filed Senate Bill No. 2752 to repeal the law taxing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and permanently cancel their licenses, aligning with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to ban them.
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Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile described former president Rodrigo Duterte's 2017 Executive Order 13, which allowed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to operate outside of ecozones, as an "ill-advised" decision.
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The House of Representatives has formed a "quad comm," an unprecedented committee composed of four panels, to jointly investigate alleged links between Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), Chinese syndicates, the illegal drug trade, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs).
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The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution authorizing the consolidation of ongoing investigations into crimes linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), illegal drugs, and alleged extrajudicial killings under former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.
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