A PHILIPPINE senator on Thursday pushed for the passage of a law punishing offshore gaming companies that are linked to crimes, also citing the need to fast-track efforts by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to seize properties illegally used by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“I hope the year 2025 is the year we finally pass the Anti-POGO Act,” Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said in a statement. “We need a comprehensive law to ensure that no POGO scams, harms, or deceives many people.”
Senate Bill No. 2868, the “Anti-POGO Act,” is currently pending second reading in the Senate, while its counterpart House bill has so far secured committee approval.
This comes after Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra told reporters in a Viber message on Wednesday that his agency has been canceling fake birth certificates used by foreigners who are often linked to organized crime syndicates.
Mr. Guevarra also noted that the OSG’s “post-POGO” tasks include forfeiting illegally acquired real properties and other assets in the country.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. earlier issued an executive order ordering the ban of POGOs due to their links to organized crime such as human trafficking. This is in line with his policy directives during his third State of the Nation Address to shut down POGOs by year-end.
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco had said that the government was on track to shut down POGO firms by year-end.
Mr. Tengco said in December that there were only 17 POGOs in operation, down from 298 licensed POGOs in 2019.
“The OSG should also work on seizing properties illegally used by POGOs,” Ms. Hontiveros said in a statement. “These properties should then be used as reparation for human trafficking victim-survivors, as stated in the Anti-Financial Account and Scamming Act.”
Ms. Hontiveros had introduced an amendment to the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act entailing the civil forfeiture of all properties and other non-liquid assets of individuals involved in cases of economic sabotage. Under the law, the Supreme Court will be tasked to craft rules on carrying out the proposed provision, which would include releasing a portion of the assets to the Justice department that would be used for support and protection for human trafficking victims.
“I am sure there are still foreigners out there using Philippine birth certificates in the wrong way, so I hope they can be identified and punished by law,” the senator said. “Let us be vigilant about efforts of POGO criminals to obtain Filipino citizenship by whatever means.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez
