Metro Manila, Philippines – Offshore gaming operators have resorted to using fake travel ads in their illegal activities, one of the latest scams to skirt the ban, Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
“Yung mga POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operator) bosses na yan malamang nandito pa rin. Hindi pa lumalabas. Kasi ino-oversee pa nila yung pag-morph ng kanilang POGO operations sa mas maliliit, guerrilla-like operations,” Hontiveros said during the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.
“May mga bago pa silang modus. Mga travel ads. Kunong travel ads sa simula. Pero sa mag-signify ng interest, parang pa-sa-sign-in nila at i-recruit nila sa mga scam operations na pala,” she added.
[Translation: Those POGO bosses are probably still here. They haven’t left. They’re overseeing the transformation of their POGO operations into smaller, guerrilla-like operations. They have new modus operandi. Travel ads, supposedly for travel, but once you express interest, it’s like you’re signing up to be recruited into scam operations.]
Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, which has investigated crimes linked to POGOs including human trafficking and scam operations, said 12 Filipinos in Myanmar are still awaiting rescue after they were illegally recruited and forced to work as scammers.
“Yung at least isa sa kanila, ni-rape ng Chinese boss nila. So yung gender dimension nito, kitang-kita pa rin natin, nagpapatuloy nang matindi,” Hontiveros said.
[Translation: At least one of them was raped by their Chinese boss. The gender dimension of this is very clear, and we can see that it continues to be a severe issue.]
Hontiveros said former POGO employees are reporting they are transferred to casinos, where the same scam operations continue, making it clear that efforts so far are still far from enough.
“Kung hindi maka-catch up yung law enforcers sa pag-stamp out ng POGOs, kung may dangerous openings pa rin o loopholes sa EO, kung hindi pa naipasa ang batas, I think a moratorium would be a very good option for the Executive to consider,” she said.
[Translation: If law enforcement cannot keep up with stamping out POGOs, if there are still dangerous openings or loopholes in the executive order, and if the law has not yet been passed, I think a moratorium would be a very good option for the Executive to consider, from Malacanang all the way to Pagcor itself.]
She called for the passage of a law banning POGO to fully eradicate their operations, enabling the government to next address concerns about Philippine inland gaming operators .
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero had previously stated that these must also be investigated due to concerns they could lead to gambling addiction among Filipinos and contribute to crime.
