POGOs a 'national menace' - think tank

International think tank Stratbase ADR Institute has welcomed the government's efforts to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), which it described as a "national menace" that threatens the country's sovereignty.

- JANVIC MATEO

In a statement, Stratbase president Dindo Manhit expressed support for the Marcos administration's decision to ban POGOs, internet gaming licensees and other offshore gaming operators.

"Far from contributing to economic progress, POGOs have fostered illicit activities that threaten our sovereignty, disrupt social order and tarnish the Philippines' reputation as a trusted investment destination," he said.

He added that POGOs may have promised economic stimulation for the country, but it instead "revealed systemic vulnerabilities, from governance failures to susceptibility to transnational crimes like human trafficking, money laundering and espionage activities."