Senator pushes Anti-POGO Act anew as Southeast Asia faces growing scam hubs
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros has renewed her appeal for the passage of the Anti-POGO Act, underscoring the need for a coordinated regional response to the growing threat posed by offshore gambling operations. In a Philippine News Agency report, Hontiveros highlighted how these Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are part of a wider transnational network of scams, human trafficking, and financial crimes that stretch beyond the country’s borders.
The Anti-POGO Act proposes a permanent ban on all POGO activities within the Philippines and seeks to hold accountable those involved in related criminal activities. Unlike past practices where deportation was commonly used, the measure demands legal proceedings against those responsible. It also aims to repeal previous tax exemptions granted to POGOs under the administration of Former President Rodrigo Duterte, while still allowing the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to recover outstanding taxes.
Hontiveros pointed out that even as the Philippines tightens controls, scam operations are migrating to other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) such as Cambodia and Myanmar. She urged ASEAN countries to collaborate in formulating a code of conduct to dismantle these criminal hubs and help trafficked workers.
Push for international cooperation and victim-centred policies
Hontiveros, also the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, has called on ASEAN to coordinate with Western governments whose citizens have been targeted by POGO-related scams, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. She also recommended the strengthening of the Bali Process, a regional forum on human trafficking and irregular migration, to create more effective policies that treat trafficked individuals as victims rather than illegal migrants.
While acknowledging recent actions by the Philippine government, including the ban on new POGO licences and raids on operations masquerading as legitimate businesses, Hontiveros warned that efforts to dismantle these networks remain incomplete.
POGO ban a mixed development for the gaming sector
Last month, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) described the POGO ban as both a challenge and an opportunity for the local gaming industry. In response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA), PAGCOR issued a directive to cease all POGO operations by the end of 2024. The agency also leads a technical working group to support displaced workers, coordinating job fairs and employment programmes with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco noted that the ban played a part in the Philippines’ removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, strengthening the country’s financial integrity. He described the measure as part of broader efforts to curb money laundering and illicit financial flows associated with offshore gambling.
