Philippines adopts rules to lock in POGO ban

THE GOVERNMENT is adopting inter-agency procedures aimed at strengthening enforcement against offshore gaming operations and preventing their reemergence, Malacañang said.

The standard operating procedures (SOP), signed at a ceremony in Malacañang on Wednesday, consolidate enforcement under Executive Order No. 74, issued in 2024, and Republic Act No. 12312, also known as the POGO Ban Act, and integrate multiple laws and agency rules into a single framework.

The SOPs establish a coordinated process covering intelligence gathering, enforcement operations, evidence handling, prosecution, and asset preservation in cases involving illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and related activities, Malacañang said in a statement.

Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto said the procedures are meant to strengthen coordination and enforcement, describing them as “another vital step” in the government’s campaign against illegal offshore gaming operations.

“These SOPs were not drawn from thin air. They were borne of hard-earned lessons from the field,” he said in a speech during the signing ceremony, adding that they establish “end-to-end procedures” and equip the government with stronger legal tools.

He said authorities are seeking to address the adaptability of illegal operations, noting that such groups are “capable of reappearing under new names, new fronts, and new methods each time they are struck.”

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission will serve as the lead coordinating body under the framework, while the Department of Justice will deploy prosecutors early in case buildup to strengthen evidence and improve conviction rates.

Other agencies involved include the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will handle financial tracking and corporate intelligence.

The SOPs also cover the management and maintenance of assets seized from illegal operations.

Mr. Recto said the approach goes beyond closing down operations, shifting toward “preserving assets, seizing illicit resources, securing convictions, protecting victims, and cutting these criminal enterprises off from the financial and corporate networks that sustain them.”

Offshore gaming companies expanded in the Philippines starting in 2016, catering largely to foreign clients and contributing to government revenues and demand for office space and services.

Authorities, however, have linked segments of the industry to crimes such as human trafficking, money laundering, and cyber-related offenses, prompting tighter regulation and enforcement actions in recent years.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. announced a ban on POGOs in his 2024 State of the Nation Address, citing the social costs associated with the industry.

Mr. Recto said the policy was driven by concerns that revenues could not outweigh its impact, saying it was “a decision rooted not in convenience, but in conscience; not in expediency, but in duty.”

The shutdown of offshore gaming operations displaced thousands of workers. Estimates ranged from 23,000 to 42,000 Filipino employees, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., while the Department of Labor and Employment identified about 30,567 affected workers as of November 2024.

“Public distrust of POGOs and concerns over illicit activities justified dismantling the sector,” Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said via Messenger, adding that doubts persisted over whether revenues from the industry benefited the broader public.

He said any fiscal gains appeared limited, with “more tangible improvements seen in reduced housing pressure and urban congestion,” while broader indicators such as tax compliance and investor confidence remain tied to larger economic forces.

“Tax compliance, investor confidence and externalities, while nominally related, cater to bigger macroeconomic trends and investment areas beyond those previously occupied by POGOs,” he added.

Mr. Juliano said sustaining the policy direction would depend on institutional safeguards and consistent enforcement, noting the need for “stronger irreversible checks” to prevent policy reversals. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana