Speaker Romualdez vows crackdown on POGOs, pledges accountability

Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez vowed to push for measures to hold accountable those involved in illegal activities linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) hubs during a press briefing on Monday.

Romualdez led an ocular inspection of several POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac, and Porac, Pampanga, where equipment, SIM cards, baseball bats, and documents were presented during inspections.

The House delegation also inspected the warehouse of Empire 999 Realty Corp. in Mexico, Pampanga, where PHP3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized by authorities last year.

Romualdez emphasized that if POGOs had remained within legal boundaries, they would not have branched out into scam farms, human trafficking, prostitution, and pornography.

These crackdowns follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s announcement that all such games are banned due to the problems they cause for the country and his order to wind down all POGOs by the end of 2024.

The Speaker stressed the need to guide the creation and consolidation of pending bills on POGO, determine what to do with displaced Filipino workers and foreign nationals involved in illegal activities, and ensure a whole-of-government approach as articulated by the President.