Search Results

The 16 foreigners caught running a POGO which is allegedly fronting as a hotel and resort in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, are now locked up in the city jail. The foreign suspects caught running an illegal offshore gaming operation, allegedly fronting as a hotel and resort in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, are now locked up in the city jail.  The suspects, of which 13 are male and 3 are female, arrived in Cebu from Manila last November 11, 2024 and underwent quarantine.  The three foreign women—an Indonesian, a Chinese, and a Myanmar national—allegedly involved in the online gambling operation are now confined in their cells at the Lapu-Lapu City Jail. They had to undergo a five-day quarantine before being transferred. The male inmates remain in quarantine and are expected to be placed with the general population soon, according to the Cebu newspaper The Freeman.  Assistant city jail warden Sr. Insp. Neco Manzanes Jr. said this was part of a standard protocol for its inmates, denying special treatment.  Prior to their current detention, the individuals were housed at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Detention Center in Pasay City. A Filipino suspect, however, was not detained at the city jail. READ: P460 Billion Lost to Scams in PH, POGO Operations Linked All 17 accused face seven counts of human trafficking and have pleaded not guilty. Some of the accused, through their lawyers, have filed bail petitions, but the specific individuals have not been disclosed. The arrests followed a raid by the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the Tourist Garden Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City on August 31, 2024. The Philippine government has intensified its efforts to combat illegal POGO activities, which have been linked to human trafficking, financial scams, and breaches of regulations. In response, authorities are urging local government units across the country to step up inspections of establishments suspected of housing these clandestine operations. Read related article: PAGCOR Calls For Vigilance Amid POGOs “Masquerading” As BPOs

Senator Risa Hontiveros says they have new information about the presence of alleged Chinese spies in the Philippines through POGOs. The final Senate hearing on illegal offshore gaming operators will focus on alleged Chinese spies at gambling hubs in the Philippines.  Senator Risa Hontiveros confirmed this, adding that they are focusing on the presence of reported Chinese spies through Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs. READ: Philippine Senate Committee Endorses Bill Outlawing POGOs "May bagong impormasyon po tayong nakalap, lalo na sa pagkakaroon ng mga espiya ng Tsina dito sa Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng mga POGO (We have new information, especially on the presence of Chinese spies in the Philippines through the POGOs)," Hontiveros said at a forum, as quoted by ABS-CBN News.  Senators are set to put a hard stop to the hearing on POGOs before the end of the month. Hontiveros previously said the senate panel is hoping that Lyu Dong, the alleged big boss of the Lucky South 99 POGO Hub in Porac Pampanga, will join the hearing. Lyu Dong was nabbed at a private subdivision last September, and was described as a kingpin among POGOs. READ: Alice Guo Linked to Kingpin in POGO Sex Trafficking Scandal Authorities are currently eyeing to remove all POGOs in the Philippines by the end of 2024. But Hontiveros said the existing executive order, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., still has its lapses.  She hopes the final hearing will also be a platform for her team to reform the law to prevent irregularities in POGO.  "Kaya sa next hearing, ilalahad po natin yung mga reporma sa batas na kailangan isulong dito sa Senado dahil sa napakaraming iregularidad at policy gaps na nakita natin sa pagkalat ng POGO at ng mga kaakibat nitong krimen (That is why we will present amendments to the law that we need to pass because of the many irregularities and policy gaps that we saw in the proliferation of POGOs and the crimes that came with them),” said Senator Hontiveros.  Read related story: Senator Wants Increase in Intelligence Fund vs. POGOs

Three South Korean fugitives wanted for operating illegal gambling sites were nabbed in separate operations. Three South Korean fugitives wanted for operating illegal gambling sites were nabbed in separate operations in Metro Manila.  The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said two of the suspects were arrested in Quezon City, while the other was arrested down south in Las Pinas. The suspects were identified like Kim Heechul, 36; Seo Min, 32; and Kim Yongsu, 45. READ: Online Casino Addiction Among South Korean Teens Soars According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, the two are believed to be mid-level managers of an online gaming syndicate. Their role involved training and managing new employees and supervising the illegal operations of more than 23 online gambling sites. Kim Heechul is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, issued following an arrest warrant from the Jeonju District Court of South Korea in May 2021. Similarly, arrest warrants for Seo Min and Kim Yongsu were issued by the Incheon District Court in May 2023. “They will also be placed in our blacklist of undesirable to make sure they won’t be able to come back to the Philippines,” Viado was quoted as saying in an Inquirer report published on November 18, 2024.  READ: Korean Lottery Sales Soar to $3.3B, Reaches Record in 2024 All three are currently detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, and are awaiting deportation.  “He allegedly conspired with other suspects in running the said websites since 2014 and was accused of receiving gambling funds, converting them into cryptocurrency, and distributing winning dividends based on online betting results,” the BI’s statement read. Read related article:   Illegal Online Gambling Cases In Korea Triple Since COVID

Mayors are urged to conduct inspections of businesses following reports that POGOs are attempting to disguise themselves as resorts and restaurants in order to avoid detection. Philippine authorities urged local government units to inspect establishments even after permitting them to operate. This comes amid reports of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) attempting to masquerade themselves as resorts and restaurants to evade detection.  Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said this in response to a question by Senator Risa Hontiveros about the continuity of the POGO shutdown after the deadline set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “I believe it transferred the one in Porac and hid there in Lapu-Lapu. So it is really up to a lot of the mayors that when they issue occupancy permits, they have to inspect the premises and make sure that what it is intended for is what’s happening,” Remulla said, as reported by the Inquirer.  Remulla was referring to incidents in Porac, Pampanga and Lapu-Lapu. In Lapu-Lapu, it was reported that a POGO hub masqueraded as a restaurant and a hotel.  Senators, including Hontiveros flagged an "alarming trend" of guerilla operations which would take over the presence of POGOs in the Philippines. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian earlier mentioned this in a previous statement, reiterating that PNP should have enough intelligence funds to monitor these operations.  Earlier this month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 74, mandating a complete ban on POGO operations by December 31, 2024. The Philippine National Police (PNP) has been tasked to intensify their efforts against illegal activities such as human trafficking, online scams, and kidnappings linked to POGOs. Read related article: Senator Wants Increase in Intelligence Fund vs. POGOs

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has called for an increase in the national police intelligence fund to combat illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has called for an increase in the Philippine National Police’s intelligence fund to combat illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).  In his statement issued November 18, 2024, he highlighted a decrease in the PNP's intelligence budget, from P1.356 billion in 2023 to P806.025 million in 2025, despite the need for enhanced law enforcement against POGOs involved in illegal activities like kidnapping, human trafficking, and online scams.  "The PNP needs funds to gather intelligence, particularly in the fight against POGOs," Gatchalian said, citing entities who masquerade as other companies to cover up their operations.  Read:   Philippine Senate Committee Endorses Bill Outlawing POGOs Meanwhile, Gatchalian has urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to proactively cancel Alien Employment Permits (AEPs) for foreign workers linked to POGOs, as he urged a more proactive approach against these offshore gaming operators.  "POGO entities are morphing into something else so they could stay in the country and continue their scamming activities," Gatchalian noted as he interpellated on DOLE's proposed budget for 2025. Read: Senator Warns Ex-POGO Workers Starting Firms for Online Scams "We need a very proactive approach to cancel and eventually send these workers to their country of origin and we need the entire government machinery to work together to cut the legal basis for these individuals to stay in the Philippines," he stressed. DOLE reported the issuance of 15,819 AEPs in 2024 and has already canceled 36,000 permits since the ban announcement. To address potential job losses  among 27,590 Filipino POGO workers, Gatchalian encouraged DOLE to enhance employment facilitation programs, such as job fairs, to ensure displaced workers find meaningful employment. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 74  mandates a complete ban on POGO operations by December 31, 2024, with the PNP tasked to intensify their efforts against illegal activities such as human trafficking, online scams, and kidnappings linked to POGOs. Read related article: P460 Billion Lost to Scams in PH, POGO Operations Linked