Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros called on government agencies Thursday to ensure that the newly signed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the nationwide ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) effectively dismantle the industry’s entire “criminal architecture.”
Following the adoption of unified rules by several government agencies on Wednesday, Hontiveros emphasized that the crackdown must be absolute to prevent the industry from merely shifting its operations underground.
The new SOPs consolidate multiple measures, including Executive Order No. 74 and Republic Act No. 12312, to streamline the enforcement of the total ban.
“The SOP must go after that entire architecture, and the whole of government must not stop until the entire structure comes down,” Hontiveros stated.
As the chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, Hontiveros has spearheaded numerous inquiries into the industry.
Despite the official ban, she warned that the networks established by these hubs remain resilient and continue to facilitate various illegal activities.
“Gumagana pa rin ang kanilang mga network. Naglipana pa rin ang mga scammers. Marami pa ring mga Pilipinong biktima ng human trafficking papunta sa mga compound sa ibang bansa,” she said.
The senator noted that while the issuance of a unified framework is a welcome development, the delay in its implementation allowed the scale of abuses to reach alarming levels.
She maintained that the focus of the framework should not only be the cessation of operations but the systematic pursuit of those who enabled the industry’s growth.
“These hubs were a cover for an entire criminal ecosystem: human trafficking, scam operations, extortion, illegal detention, and money laundering,” Hontiveros added.
“Habulin ang mga operator, protector, recruiter, financier, at lahat ng nagpahintulot sa sistemang ito.”
The senator’s call for accountability stresses that the “whole-of-government” approach must identify and prosecute the financiers and protectors who served as the backbone of the POGO industry to ensure it never recovers.