Philippine national authorities are calling on local governments to intensify inspections of business establishments to ensure they do not host illegal POGO operations in the Philippines. They also emphasized the need to identify workers linked to these banned offshore online gambling entities.
This directive follows a recent Bureau of Immigration raid in Parañaque City, Metro Manila. During the operation, officials arrested nearly 400 foreign nationals working for a company suspected of running scam-like activities that resembled Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla directed all local officials to conduct thorough inspections and take immediate action on suspicious business operations. Additionally, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will launch an investigation into Parañaque City officials for allegedly failing to detect the ongoing illegal POGO operations in the Philippines within their jurisdiction.
Since 2023, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has implemented a total ban on all POGOs operating in the country. He also set a strict deadline to shut down all existing operations by December 31, 2024. As a result, local government units (LGUs) must now coordinate closely with law enforcement and conduct routine checks on commercial properties.
Authorities have also raised growing concerns about the negligence of some local officials. They cited specific cases where barangay and city leaders failed to respond to known POGO activities still running under the radar.
National agencies continue to pressure LGUs to close regulatory gaps and remove all remaining illegal POGO operations in the Philippines. They stressed that effective enforcement at the local level remains critical to eliminating underground gambling networks that exploit weak oversight and legal loopholes.
