MANILA, Philippines — Newly appointed Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he would ensure the shutdown of all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) by the end of 2024, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had ordered.
He will start with POGOs currently operating at Island Cove in Cavite, which his family used to own.
"That will be the first one to be closed to show proof of sincerity that I will start with my province and make sure that it's closed," he said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday, October 9.
"It doesn't matter if it's Chinese or Filipinos (who are running the POGOs); the order states that all POGOs must be closed," he said.
Remulla said the agency will conduct a final inspection of all POGOs on December 15 that they must completely close down by December 31.
In a separate ambush interview on Wednesday, he said he spoke with POGO operators at Island Cove, who agreed to cease operations on December 15.
In his State of the Nation Address back in July, Marcos ordered a complete ban on POGOs in response to reports of unlawful activities such as scams human trafficking.
The Department of Interior and Local Government, along with other agencies like the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, are tasked with implementing the POGO shutdowns across the country.
Leadership transition at DILG. The agency was previously headed by former Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos before he filed a certificate of candidacy for a Senate seat on October 7.
This made Abalos automatically considered resigned from the post, and he was replaced by Remulla, who withdrew his certificate of candidacy for reelection as Cavite governor.
"I actually filed Tuesday, 10 a.m. But I got a call Friday and I was informed that he asked me to be the new Secretary of Interior. When the president asks, you cannot refuse; you must serve. And it's been on my mind what reforms need to be done," Remulla said.