CRACKDOWN Some of the more than 800 Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) workers 鈥渞escued鈥� from a complex run by a Chinese company in Bamban, Tarlac, await instructions from authorities on Wednesday. They include 497 foreigners, most of them Chinese. 鈥擯RESIDENTIAL ANTI-ORGANIZED CRIME COMMISSION photo
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Grace Poe lamented on Thursday the government鈥檚 seeming 鈥渋nability鈥� to eradicate crimes related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo).
鈥淥ur inability to stop the POGO-related crimes will be a mockery of our laws and will perpetuate the cycle of exploitation and abuse, not only of Filipinos but of their foreigner victims,鈥� Poe warned in a statement.
Her remarks came after a police raid in a Pogo hub in Bamban, Tarlac allegedly involved in human trafficking.
Authorities from various government agencies rescued 371 Filipinos and 497 foreigners during the operation.
For Poe, this recent raid in Tarlac bared how 鈥渋llegal operations of offshore gaming鈥� have proliferated in the country and victimized the public.
鈥淭丑别 crimes associated with these pernicious Pogo activities have become more vicious, including human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping for ransom, torture, online scam and fake IDs and passports,鈥� Poe noted.
The senator urged law enforcers to strengthen their efforts to restrain fraudulent activities related to Pogo, especially since the country has yet to implement a 鈥渃oncrete policy鈥� against the perpetrators.
鈥楢 decisive stand鈥�
听Several senators have been urging President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. to completely ban Pogos in the Philippines, pointing out that these businesses only 鈥渕ade the country a fertile ground for various crimes.鈥�
In a separate statement on Wednesday, Senator Win Gatchalian repeated his call for the administration to 鈥渢ake decisive action and immediately implement a ban on Pogo operations.鈥�
鈥淚t is our duty to protect the well-being of our citizens and uphold the integrity of our nation,鈥� said Gatchalian, head of the Senate panel on ways and means who investigated the alleged crimes linked to Pogos in the Philippines.