PAGCOR says it will name 'ex-Cabinet official,' others tied to illegal POGOs

MANILA, Philippines — A former high-ranking government official tried to secure gaming licenses for several illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) that have recently been raided, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) said on Saturday. 

The government agency did not identify the former Cabinet member but promised to reveal the identity and the details that led to the rise of illegal POGOs "in the proper forum."

PAGCOR chief executive officer and chairman Alejandro Tengco said investigators "should look into the role of former officials and their conduits in the grant of licenses to POGO applicants with dubious backgrounds."

"As a regulator, our job is to ensure only those with valid licenses can operate gambling activities, whether land-based or online," Tengco said in a statement released on Saturday.

"It is in the interest of the government to crack the whip against illegal operators, including the so-called offshore gaming operators or POGOs and their backers, because the criminal activities associated with their illegal operations pose serious threats to our people," he added.

Tengco lauded the Marcos' administration's efforts to clamp down on illegal operators, including unlicensed offshore gaming operators and their backers.

The move reduced the number of licensed entities drastically, from 298 under the previous administration to just 43 now.

“What we need to question, in the first place, was how those 298 POGO licensees were able to secure their licensees in the past because clearly, during our cleansing process, we found most of them to be ineligible and outright suspicious,” Tengco said.

“We are also ready to reveal the roles of other controversial individuals behind these criminal POGO enterprises,” he added. 

It is the duty of PAGCOR to ensure that only licensed entities can operate in all types of gambling, including physical casinos and online platforms. 

Concerns over POGOs have resurfaced, with Mayor Alice Guo's links to the illegal POGO hub raided in her Tarlac town.