PNP Chief Vows to Eliminate Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators by End of 2024

After a raid at Manila's Century Peak Tower, Gen. Rommel Marbil, chief of the Philippine National Police, promised to eradicate Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators by 2024.

According to reports, it was the main base of Pogo operations and was home to hundreds of people engaged in illegal activity, including 69 foreign nationals.

"The commitment of our PNP-ACG (Anti-Cybercrime Group) officers is demonstrated by this operation, as their unwavering pursuit of justice has uncovered and disrupted a major center of criminal activity associated with online scams, illicit gambling, and human trafficking," Marbil stated.

“We have two months to go to clear the country of these illegal Pogos,” he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned pogo and directed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to stop operating the game by the end of 2024 during his State of the Nation Address last July.

The Manila Pogo raid was carried out by the PNP-ACG, according to the National Capital Region Police Office, after the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission disassociated itself from the operation and declared it to be "flawed."

According to Marbil, the PNP and the NBI are the only organizations that carry out operations aimed at cybercrimes since they have the particular knowledge required to deal with such offenses.

"This operation not only reveals the extensive scope of illicit Pogo activities, but it also demonstrates law enforcement's unwavering commitment to destroying criminal networks, protecting public safety, and upholding the rule of law in all areas of cyber enforcement," he continued.