PAGCOR denies POGOs still operating

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) denied Sen. Raffy Tulfo’s claim that President Marcos seems to have been deceived as Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) are said to be still operating in the country despite the presidential directive.

“As far as I know, there are still POGOs. What happened was the POGOs got a different name … and changed the name to IGL (internet gaming licensee). So there are still POGOs,” Tulfo said during yesterday’s public hearing of the Senate committee on games and amusement.

PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco denied the lawmaker’s claim, saying the number of license holders that was discovered last July 2023 went down from 278 to 255.

A total of 298 licenses that were contested by the previous PAGCOR administration were also relegated to probationary status, he added.

Tengco admitted that pursuing foreign POGO workers who hide here and conduct illegal operations was a challenge for law enforcers.In line with the President’s directive, Tengco revealed that Malacañang is set to issue an executive order that will clarify Marcos’ order to totally ban POGOs.

“Although I don’t want to preempt, the EO is being drafted as a final executive order for those who know exactly who will be affected. This may include POGOs operating from export processing zones,” Tengco said.

Meanwhile, criminal cases were filed against 16 foreigners and a Filipino who were arrested in a raid in suspected POGO hubs in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu over the weekend, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission reported yesterday.

PAOCC executive director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz did not identify the suspects who were among the people caught in the POGO hubs or scam farms in a hotel in Barangay Agus last Saturday.