President Marcos issued an executive order on Friday reinforcing his earlier directive banning all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and related internet-based gaming activities in the country.
While Executive Order No. 74 does not advance the previously given December 31, 2024 timeline for POGO-led operations to cease, it reminds such enterprises to wind down their operations.
In signing the order, Mr. Marcos highlighted the government’s duty to “safeguard national security, maintain public order, uphold the rule of law, protect the safety of its citizens, and ensure the integrity of the social fabric of the nation.”
The President first announced his intention to implement a ban during his State of the Nation Address in July 2024.
The ban follows a study by the Department of Finance (DOF) indicating that the social and economic costs of POGO operations — including rising crime rates, social instability, and exploitation of vulnerable individuals — significantly outweigh any economic benefits.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) also raised concerns that POGOs have been associated with money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes, posing substantial threats to the national financial system.
In line with the ban, the President directed national agencies, including the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, to increase enforcement against illegal offshore gaming operations.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) was tasked with ensuring POGO operations do not proliferate within residential areas, while the Department of Tourism was directed to monitor tourist establishments to prevent their use as venues for illegal gaming.
As this developed, a Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors is now deliberating on whether to dismiss the complaint or file a case in court against Alice Guo, Shiela Guo, Cassandra Li Ong and 32 others.
Assistant State Prosecutor Charlie Guhit said the panel has concluded its preliminary investigation on the money laundering complaint against the dismissed Bamban mayor and her alleged accomplices filed by the AMLC, National Bureau of Investigation and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.
However, he declined to comment as to when the DOJ panel expects to make a decision.
“Timeline, we have none but we’ll see to it that we will resolve this case as soon as possible. We’ve been delayed for a few weeks because of the summit, work was suspended… and also due to the typhoons,” he said in a mixture of Filipino and English.
