Senator Win Gatchalian announced on Friday that the government is finally catching up with the legal framework necessary to dismantle Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs).
The statement follows the rollout of new interagency rules designed to fully enforce the ban on an industry linked to a surge in serious criminal activities.
While Republic Act No. 12312 and a subsequent executive order by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially declared POGOs unlawful, Gatchalian noted that the delay in implementing rules had raised concerns.
He suggested that this lag initially hindered the swift removal of the sector despite early warnings regarding its inherent risks.
“From the very beginning, we have consistently sounded the alarm on the dangers posed by POGOs: their links to organized crime, exploitation and serious threats to national security,” the senator said.
Gatchalian, a key figure in the Senate inquiries into POGO-related crimes, highlighted that illegal operations have continued to persist by shifting their forms and locations.
He pointed to coordination gaps that previously allowed scam hubs to evade the law under various guises.
“Sa kabila nito, patuloy silang nagtatago sa iba’t ibang anyo at lugar upang makaiwas sa batas,” he added.
The newly signed standard operating procedures (SOPs) are expected to bridge these enforcement gaps.
Gatchalian expressed optimism that these tools would provide a unified front for the government to conclude its crackdown.
“I now hope that these SOPs will help provide the government with clearer and more coordinated tools to finish what we started,” he said.
“There is no longer a viable justification for the continued existence of POGOs and scam hubs in the country.”
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto led the signing of the SOPs to operationalize Executive Order No. 74.
This framework consolidates 15 existing laws and agency directives into a single, comprehensive enforcement roadmap intended to eliminate all remaining POGO operations in the Philippines.