Accountability for illegal activities in POGO crackdown assured

MANILA – Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday assured that those involved in the illegal activities associated with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) will face the full force of the law.

"Those who are accountable will have to face the law," Romualdez said during a press conference held inside the sprawling POGO hub operated by Lucky South 99 Inc. in Porac, Pampanga.

Romualdez made the assurance as he led several House officials in conducting an ocular inspection of the 10-hectare POGO hub with 46 buildings, which were raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in June.

The House delegation also inspected the POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac operated by Zun Yuan Ti and the warehouse of Empire 999 Realty Corp. in Mexico, Pampanga, where P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized by authorities last year.

Romualdez and the chairpersons of different House committees inspected the POGO hubs and Mexico warehouse as part of their oversight function, and the broader crackdown initiated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

A joint inquiry by the House Committees on Public Order and Safety and on Games and Amusements recently revealed a complex network of Chinese nationals, including businessman and former presidential adviser Michael Yang, involved in illegal POGOs and drug trafficking.

Romualdez said the POGO industry and its associated illegal activities flourished during the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

"Noong nakaraang administrasyon, na-establish ang industriya at lumago (During the past administration, the industry was established and flourished). Congress came up with a law so that it would be regulated for the purpose of collecting taxes. Pero ngayon, nakikita natin na dumami ang illegal activities na ginagamit ito bilang front (But now, we can see that illegal activities increased using the industry front)," he said.

President Marcos, in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), ordered an immediate ban on POGOs and instructed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to wind down all POGOs by the end of the year.

Romualdez said the inspection was necessary because these sites appeared in reports and needed to be inspected to guide the creation and consolidation of pending bills on POGO and determine what to do with the stakeholders involved, including displaced Filipino workers and foreign nationals.

"Those who have been displaced, the government will accommodate so long as they are not complicit in any illegal activities. What to do with all of these assets? How do we move forward para hindi na ito maulit (so that it will not happen again)?" he said.

Romualdez said the Marcos administration remains unwavering in its commitment to justice and will hold those behind illegal POGO activities accountable.

He also reiterated the whole-of-government approach as articulated by the President in his SONA.

He added a resolution is being prepared to ensure that the House Committees on Public Order and Safety, on Dangerous Drugs, and on Human Rights will work closely together in investigating all issues related to POGOs.

The Speaker was joined in the inspection by Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. and the chairpersons of the different House committees: Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez (Public Order and Safety), Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Dangerous Drugs), Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano (Public Accounts), Cavite 6th District Rep. Antonio Ferrer (Games and Amusements), and Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop (Transportation).

Also present were Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin, and Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Ty Pimentel. (PNA)