‘Some POGOs kidnap, kill own workers’

MANILA, Philippines — Some Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) licensed by the government are involved in illegal activities and reportedly kidnap and kill their own personnel to protect the business, a security official said yesterday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it is not only clandestine POGOs that are involved in nefarious activities such as kidnapping their employees and in some cases, killing their own workers.

“Yung mga POGO, sumusobra na rin sila (These POGOs, they are getting to be too much),” the source said in an interview.

There was one case wherein government agents raided a POGO in Metro Manila to rescue a foreigner who was being held against his will by his employers.

The official said they were surprised when they saw cell phones and other gadgets that the workers used for a fraudulent dating app, telecom fraud and identity theft.

When authorities conducted a background check, the source said the POGO has the necessary documents to operate from the government, such as a business permit.

Another legitimate POGO in Calabarzon detained one of its employees who wanted to quit.

The source said that investigators are suspicious of reports that some of the POGO’s employees supposedly committed suicide by jumping from the building.

“When the employee wants to quit, the management claims the employee committed suicide but they were reportedly pushed,” the official said.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said ordinary citizens may help in crime prevention by reporting the presence of Chinese nationals in their communities.

Azurin also urged protective agents working as armed goons of foreigners, including those involved in POGO operations, to voluntarily turn themselves in to the police for a background investigation “because we will be having a crackdown.”