Senators urge Marcos to ban POGOs over 'security threats'

Senators yesterday renewed their call for President Marcos to ban Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) firms, citing their threat to national security and ties to organized crime.

- MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

Senators made this call after holding an executive session on Wednesday about the illegal activities involving POGOs, such as money laundering, human trafficking and financial scams.

The closed-door session was attended by representatives from intelligence and law enforcement agencies who all agreed that POGOs should be banned for their criminal activities, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said during the Kapihan sa Senado forum yesterday.

Without disclosing details of the discussion, Gatchalian said it was established that offshore gaming hubs are being used as cover by local and foreign criminal syndicates to launder dirty money from abroad and to traffic victims into working for them and perpetuate digital scams.

“I am shaken because our intelligence agencies were able to confirm our worst fear – that corruption due to POGOs has become entrenched, and that its influence has expanded into politics, law enforcement, and immigration,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.

“It is a scary scenario that the money from foreign criminal syndicates is being laundered here to fund local criminal syndicates. These evil elements are starting to join forces,” he added.