Philippine senators blame regulators for ‘not doing their job’ in controlling Pogo scams

One senator accused the gaming industry watchdog of being corrupt and failing to monitor human trafficking rings using Pogos as ‘legal cover’ to run online scams

Philippine offshore gambling operators emerged in 2016 and grew as they targeted customers in China, where gambling is banned

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Philippine senators are blaming the government for ‘not doing their job’ in regulating Pogos, claiming that human trafficking rings use them as ‘legal cover’ to run online scams. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:00am, 1 Jun 2023

Senators have criticised government regulators for letting human trafficking rings use Philippine offshore gambling operators (Pogos) as “legal cover” to run online scams and promote bogus cryptocurrency investments.

The industry emerged in the Philippines in 2016 and grew exponentially, as operators capitalised on the country’s liberal gaming laws to target customers in China, where gambling is banned.

During a Senate hearing on the rescue of more than 1,000 foreign workers from a Pogo complex northwest of Manila, lawmaker Risa Hontiveros warned that turning a blind eye to the business model would lead to organised crime gangs “growing at a frightening rate our government will never be able to handle”.

Pogo is being used as a front for scams [and] human trafficking because Pagcor is corrupt. That’s the bottom line

Sherwin Gatchalian, Philippine senator

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, a vocal critic of the online gaming firms, accused the industry watchdog Pagcor of being corrupt and failing to monitor such entities.

“Pogo is being used as a front for scams [and] human trafficking because Pagcor is corrupt. That’s the bottom line,” Gatchalian told the Senate on Tuesday, as he called for an outright ban on the crime-tainted sector for bringing “international shame” to the Philippines.

“You are not doing your job. You closed your eyes and your inspectors have become corrupt,” he added.

Pagcor assistant vice-president Jessa Mariz Fernandez admitted her department overlooked the need to work with government agencies and send officers to observe Pogo hubs, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

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