Imee wants POGOs suspended

MANILA, Philippines — Amid controversies surrounding Philippine offshore gaming operator firms, Sen. Imee Marcos has proposed the suspension of POGOs and is seeking assistance from China, which has banned offshore gaming for its citizens.

Marcos urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to immediately come up with a clear policy on POGO.

“I think we need to suspend operations right now. Maybe suspend first and then study the system and come clean on what is allowed and what is not,” she said yesterday in an interview with radio dzBB.

“I think PAGCOR can do that because they are on top of everything. They should be regulating it. They will say what the framework is. Make it known to all agencies, including LGUs (local government units), police and the judiciary to clarify everything. If (POGO) really can’t be regulated, stop it,” she added.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has conducted anti-illegal POGO operations in Pampanga and arrested several Chinese nationals involved in the illegal activities.

Marcos emphasized that individuals arrested in the raids must be charged in court.

“Those caught illegally should be charged because it’s really unclear that they don’t obey the peace and order and immigration laws,” she said.

Asked about policies that Malacañang could take against POGO, the senator said that she does not want to pre-empt the action of the executive department.

“I’m still hoping for the government to release a new policy,” she said, noting that “for more than two years, nothing has been shown.”

“So I hope they explain that those with a criminal record cannot enter the country. That, even if they have enough money, don’t buy us,” she said.

“The BI (Bureau of Immigration) must explain the situation. Even the immigration is said to be in cahoots with some DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) personnel issuing permanent resident visas. Then the police, why is it that the raiders can’t enter because there were bodyguards,” she added.

While she is not yet familiar with the pronouncement of her fellow Senators Risa Hontiveros and Sherwin Gatchalian about POGO being considered a national security threat, Marcos said, “For me, it’s clear that transnational crime is already there, it’s a different level, we can’t handle it alone, let’s get help from China (in addressing the problems on POGO).”

Marcos did not say how China could assist the Philippines, which both are involved in a dispute over the West Philippine Sea.

She explained that the suspension of POGO operations would pave the way for the government to “calculate how much money is earned and other concerns.

“Last time, I learned there were about P12 billion, but there were many are scam activities. Is it beneficial to do that? There were too many under the table, others didn’t pay taxes. It’s hard to make money, but they only give stingy money,” the senator said.

She added that the earnings would not compensate the reputational and social costs.

“The reputation of the Philippines is that our country provide refuge to criminals. And some say that in the Philippines, there is no law, you can buy anything and anyone. It’s a shame,” she said.

As a former governor of Ilocos Norte, Marcos admitted that local government officials have no way of checking or regulating POGO at the local level.

“In fact, POGO is not yet popular, we already have a high roller junket there in Fort Ilocandia. At the beginning, it seemed okay, it was like a casino, okay, then we saw what fugitives from justice, criminals record wonders then it got scary that it got deeper, they are rooting for many narco police, and narco judges,” she said.

“If it can’t be regulated and it’s not that big because before, the income was P12 billion, it’s not that much, the income is not worth it. From September until now, PAGCOR has yet to give a clear policy on POGO because PAGCOR doesn’t want to ban it,” she added.

Real enemy: AHaSS

As this developed, PAGCOR’s head honcho spoke out yesterday apparently taking up the cudgels for the beleaguered offshore gaming industry, even coming up with a new nomenclature and acronym to brand what for him is the real enemy.

In a press release, PAGCOR chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco said that alien hacking and scam syndicates or AHaSS are the real threats to national security, not legitimate and licensed offshore gaming operators.

Tengco added that legitimate internet gaming licensees or IGLs, its new nomenclature and acronym for POGOs, generate funds for the government, contributing more than ?5 billion to PAGCOR’s gross revenues last year.

“To us, the real threats are the alien hacking and scam syndicates who operate underground, and they are the ones that our law enforcement agencies are trying to locate and dismantle,” he said. “And we are cooperating fully with the authorities in this regard.”

The PAGCOR chief also appealed to the public to report suspicious alien activities in their communities, saying that such criminal syndicates are usually armed and dangerous.

“We should not blame and demonize our licensed gaming operators because these are closely monitored by PAGCOR,” he said. “Our licensees pay taxes, and they help provide legitimate jobs and livelihood to a lot of people.”

PAGCOR has embedded monitoring teams at physical venues of all licensed gaming operators, including land-based casinos, to ensure compliance with the terms of their licenses, according to Tengco.

Those found violating the provisions of their licenses are meted fines and penalties and, in the most serious offenses, the licenses are revoked and their bonds forfeited.

“We do not need to outlaw POGOs; what we need to do is intensify anti-crime operations against suspected alien hackers, against scammers and cyber-criminals, who are usually hiding in highly secured buildings and compounds,” Tengco said.

“These criminal syndicates are not engaged in offshore gaming at all, and even if they are, they are doing it illegally. So they are the real threats, and we must go after them with everything that we have,” he added.

Rescued fugitive

Meanwhile, a Chinese fugitive was among the rescued foreign nationals at a POGO facility in Porac, Pampanga, an official of the PAOCC said yesterday.

PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio confirmed during the Kapihan sa QC forum that the fugitive wanted in China for “crimes of violence” was captured around midnight on June 8.

Casio revealed that the individual is the 160th foreign national rescued in the ongoing crackdown on illegal POGO operations.

“Among those rescued, we identified four kidnap victims: two who were severely beaten, a female Chinese national kidnapped at NAIA Terminal 1, and another Chinese national kidnapped in Pasay,” he said.

He added that they conducted an immigration inquest yesterday afternoon for the 160 individuals.

Also Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the BI to probe the latest POGO facility raided in Porac, Pampanga for allegedly engaging in prostitution, human trafficking and scams.

Remulla has directed the NBI and the BI “to be on top of the case, file charges if warranted, and immediately deport those proven to have violated immigration laws.”

“The Department of Justice would take action against those behind these illicit activities,” he said yesterday. — Rainier Allan Ronda, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Daphne Galvez