The inquiry into Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs), which were outlawed earlier this year due to claims of widespread criminal activity and foreign infiltration, has been completed by a Philippine Senate committee. The deputy minority leader of the committee, Senator Risa Hontiveros, denounced POGOs as a “Trojan horse” for illegal activity.
“POGOs have exposed a web of people who used [them] for their own selfish interests, their own personal gain—all at the expense of the Filipino people,” Hontiveros stated, as reported by the Manila Standard.
She listed serious crimes, including corruption, human trafficking, and forced labor, linked to these operations. Many workers were reportedly lured with promises of good pay but later detained and forced to meet quotas under threats of torture.
The Fall of “POGO Mayor”
Among the prominent figures implicated was Alice Guo, a Chinese national who posed as Filipino mayor Guo Hua Ping. She allegedly ran a large-scale POGO operation in Bamban while in office, using forged documents to secure her position.
Guo’s operations were uncovered during a raid in March, after which she fled to Indonesia. Authorities captured her and extradited her to the Philippines, where she now faces charges of human trafficking and money laundering.
Though she was expected to testify during the Senate hearing, judicial conflicts prevented her attendance. However, Hontiveros delivered a stern message: “Guo Hua Ping, this committee has unmasked you… I look forward to the day you face justice.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned POGOs in July, citing their violation of Philippine laws. However, Hontiveros urged the government to go further by enacting permanent legislation.
While Marcos recently signed Executive Order 74 to prohibit internet gaming, he refrained from making the ban law, stating the EO was sufficient. Hontiveros strongly disagreed.
“This may be the end of our hearings on POGOs,” she declared, “but it is only the beginning of legislative reforms… to ensure there will never be another Alice Guo.”
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