The Valenzuela government will not allow Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to set up shop in the city, according to Mayor Weslie Gatchalian.
Gatchalian said the local government has recently passed 3 ordinances, effectively banning POGOs from operating in Valenzuela.
Ordinance No. 1105, he said, disallows POGOs “within the territorial jurisdiction of Valenzuela City.”
He added that the passing of the ordinances is a “preemptive move” before POGOs “will affect” Valenzuela.
This comes after the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) cracked the whip on an offshore gaming service provider in Las Piñas City suspected to be involved in criminal activities.
On Saturday, the Philippine National Police filed criminal charges against five Chinese nationals before the Department of Justice in relation to the raid of seven POGO establishments in Las Piñas.