PH POGO-FREE BY 2025 — DILG
PHILIPPINES will be POGO-free by 2025.
This was stressed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla as he assured that the job of the law enforcement agencies is not done yet and will continue even after the December 15 closure of all remaining Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO).
Remulla during a press briefing in Malacañang, said that in 2025, he would be able to categorically say that the Philippines is POGO-free as all licenses will be cancelled in adherence to the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
He however, aired the possibility that POGO operations will flourish under a “guerilla-type” approach.
“Ganito iyan, two parts iyan: All licenses are cancelled – so POGO-free tayo; guerilla operations will flourish but we will go after them,” he promised.
President Marcos Jr. in his third State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA), ordered the stop of all POGO operations in the country.
“As per the President’s instructions, we will make it very difficult for them until they say that it is no longer worth operating in the Philippines,” the DILG chief said.
Together with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the DILG through the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the local government units (LGUs) according to Remulla, will scour potential areas to put an end to illegal POGOs.
He also said the DILG will issue a directive requiring local chief executives to report suspicious activities about the potential establishment of POGOs in their areas amid the total ban.
“Malalaman iyan sa spike bigla ng bandwidth use, entry of suspicious people congregating in houses not registered as businesses. So, they are enjoined to report immediately sa amin para malaman namin at makagawa kami ng aksiyon,” he said.
