Amid rumours about mass grave, Philippine president prepares executive order banning POGOs

Philippines Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) were introduced in 2016 under former president Rodrigo Duterte. They offered online games to players outside the country, especially in mainland China.

In recent years, the industry has been plagued by reports of criminal activity, including running online scams and using forced labor.

Raids of POGO facilities in Pampanga and Tarlac in March and June brought matters to a head. In each case, hundreds of local and foreign workers were freed, some claiming to have been victims of human trafficking, prostitution, and torture.

The story took a turn for the surreal when investigators learned that Alice Guo, mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, was actually a Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping. Guo reportedly underwrote the POGO with Chinese money, and had knowledge of crimes being committed there. She has since been linked with Chinese triads.

Uproar led to POGO ban

The public outcry was enough for Marcos. “Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” he said in his 22 July state of the nation address.

“Disguising as legitimate entities, the operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming,” he said, “financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture—even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop.”

Marcos gave legitimate Philippines operators until the end of the year to wind down.

Now he’s preparing an executive order (EO) confirming the total ban, and will sign it before the end of the month, according to Gilbert Cruz, head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

“I’ve seen the draft and I think (it will be out) in two weeks’ time,” Cruz told the Philippine Inquirer. “How it will be implemented is still being resolved.”

But the ban isn’t enough for senator Sherwin Gatchalian. The longtime anti-POGO crusader is pushing legislation to ensure POGOs don’t return in any form under a future administration.

“We will clearly define what is POGO, what is the business associated with POGOs,” he said. “We’ll include all that in the law, so that it will be institutionalized. Whoever is the sitting president, these POGOs cannot be allowed to operate again.”

Gatchalian is also scrutinising Philippines Inland Gaming Operations (PIGOs), which offer online gaming to domestic players. He’s called out loopholes in PIGO regulations that allow almost anyone to open an account and gamble online.

“Even minors can open an eGaming account using a fake name and age. … Since you can provide a fake name, you can also do money laundering.”

In search of POGO bigwigs

Onetime POGO leaders have tried to escape prosecution. Alice Guo fled the country in July, was captured 4 September in Indonesia, and returned to the Philippines. She now faces charges of money laundering, tax evasion, trafficking and misrepresentation.

Meanwhile, another suspected POGO leader has also taken flight. Huang Ziyang, whom Gatchalian called the “boss of all bosses of POGOs,” hightailed it to Taiwan, and now is believed to be in Hong Kong. Ziyang has been described as a Guo associate.

“We can see that he’s actively moving,” Gatchalian said at a 12 September press conference. “It’s important that we file a case against him so that a formal warrant of arrest in the Philippines can be issued. This will allow us to alert Interpol and restrict his movements.” said the senator.

Rumors of mass burial at POGO

The worst may be yet to come. In more grisly news, the PAOCC is investigating claims of a “mass grave” at the Lucky South 99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga.

“These are very serious allegations that our task group cannot take lightly,” said PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio. The commission has asked for a search warrant “ to calm the anxious minds of both the foreign embassies with missing nationals as well as the relatives of those who have  disappeared.”