Philippine authorities raided a suspected illegal online gaming operation on Saturday inside a resort in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. They detained 162 foreign nationals, mainly Chinese and Indonesian nationals, during the operation. Winston Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), confirmed the arrest in a Sunday briefing.
Casio explained that the team specifically targeted an “illegal POGO,” or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator. He said the group running the operation committed internet-based crimes under the cover of a business establishment.
Agents from PAOCC, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and other government agencies jointly carried out the raid. Casio said the operators ran a fully illegal online gambling business inside Tourist Garden Hotel in Cebu.
“This is a 100-percent illegal POGO,” Casio stated. He emphasized that the group operated without government authorization under the new Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) structure.
He added, “We gathered sufficient evidence to file charges for cybercrime-related gambling and qualified trafficking linked to cybercrime.”
Casio delivered the update through a press briefing streamed live on The Freeman’s social media page. The Freeman is a leading news outlet based in Cebu.
The Indonesian Embassy initiated the request for the raid after three Indonesian nationals escaped from the compound and reported the illegal activities. Casio said the embassy’s report triggered the operation.
When authorities entered the property, they discovered makeshift workstations throughout the facility. They also found foreign nationals actively managing online gaming platforms in clear violation of Philippine laws.
The PAOCC confirmed that they would transfer all 162 detainees to Manila. Authorities will file immigration charges through inquest proceedings.
Norman Tansingco, Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, issued a press statement following the raid. He urged the government to hold resort owners accountable if they knowingly allowed unlicensed online gambling activities on their property.
“We will recommend filing charges against resort owners who let foreign nationals operate criminal schemes inside their establishments,” Tansingco said. He stressed that owners must take responsibility if they enabled or ignored these operations.
Tansingco added that immigration officials would deport the foreign nationals once they complete legal procedures in Manila.
He said, “This serves as a warning to anyone planning to launch unauthorized online gambling operations. The President already banned these activities, and we intend to enforce that order completely.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued the ban in July. During his third State of the Nation Address, he declared that all offshore gaming operators must stop operating in the Philippines before the year ends.
Marcos said, “POGOs have already ventured into illicit areas farthest from gaming,” reinforcing the administration’s position.
This recent raid underscores the government’s strengthened crackdown on unauthorized gambling operations. It also demonstrates its growing collaboration with foreign embassies to address cross-border cybercrime and human trafficking tied to illegal gaming.
