PAGCOR flags fake memo ordering immediate closure of POGOs

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) denied issuing a document that allegedly ordered Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to shut down operations as early as August.

In a statement on Saturday, PAGCOR said that there is a circulating fake memorandum ordering several local government units in Metro Manila to terminate POGO operations within the first week of August.

“We have not issued a memorandum ordering LGUs to immediately close down POGO operations in their jurisdiction because the President’s order is very clear: We have until the end of the year to wind down POGO operations, and we will follow that,” Jessa Fernandez, PAGCOR’s Offshore Gaming Licensing Department chief said in a statement.

“This is a clear disinformation intended to create chaos and confusion,” she added.

Fernandez added that the supposed memorandum was a forged version of an earlier document issued on July 23, a day after the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

The July 23 memorandum is a letter to Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) where PAGCOR advised them that “pending finalization of the details and process of winding down, operations may remain in the status quo,” following Marcos’ order for a complete shutdown of the POGOs by the end of the year.

“We reiterate, and we advise our LGUs, that licensed IGLs can continue operating until we have determined the process of winding down their operations, which we currently have not yet finalized,” Fernandez said.

She also added that PAGCOR will ask the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct an investigation into the circulation of the fake memo and to “unmask” the individuals behind it to determine their “ulterior motives.”

During Marcos’ SONA on Monday, he ordered the closure of all POGOs in the Philippines, a move long advocated by senators, business groups and economic managers.

POGOs have been controversial due to their links to criminal activities, including human trafficking.