It has been a year since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a comprehensive ban on offshore gambling (POGO), and although the Philippines has ostensibly cleared the main operating parks, the shadow of POGO still lingers. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) notes that about 9,000 former POGO employees from China remain stranded in the Philippines, some of whom have gone underground to continue engaging in fraudulent activities in small, "guerrilla-style" operations.
Senator Risa Hontiveros stated that this ban was a necessary correction by the government, as POGO had severely eroded institutions, bribed officials, and triggered fraud and human trafficking crises, harming both local and foreign citizens. She emphasized that Senate investigations have revealed systemic corruption risks associated with POGO, and similar issues must be prevented from recurring. Some foreigners, due to incomplete deportations, have flowed into Cambodia, Myanmar, and other places, continuing their fraudulent schemes.
Despite the major parks being banned, the residual forces of POGO are evolving towards more covert and smaller-scale operations, making detection even more challenging. Hontiveros warned, "These fragmented fraud networks are harder to trace." However, Senator Joel Villanueva is optimistic, believing that POGO is "rapidly depleting," with most remnants already cleared, leaving mostly marginal personnel or those afraid of being arrested upon returning to their home countries.
In 2024, President Marcos, in his State of the Nation Address, directed a comprehensive ban on POGO and signed Executive Order No. 74 (EO 74), requiring the repatriation of all offshore and online gambling operators by the end of the year. The Department of Finance's research indicates that the financial, social, and national security risks posed by POGO far outweigh its economic contributions, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council has repeatedly warned that the industry is closely linked to money laundering and fraud. To prevent a resurgence of POGO, senators are advancing the "2025 Anti-POGO Act" (SB 2868), which aims to completely seal off loopholes through legislation.
A landmark case is that of former Mayor Alice Guo of Banban City. She was confirmed as a shareholder of Zun Yuan Technology, involved in human trafficking and illegal detention, and the court declared her "undoubtedly a Chinese citizen," resulting in her disqualification from public office. Alice Guo is currently detained in Bashi City Prison, facing 62 charges, becoming a representative figure of the POGO chaos.
Over the past year, POGO-related kidnappings, fraud, and human trafficking cases have significantly decreased. The police state that related threats have been essentially eliminated, and community security is gradually being restored. Internationally, the Philippines has successfully exited the FATF grey list due to its effective crackdown on POGO, boosting foreign investor confidence. The real estate market has also cooled down, with rents becoming more reasonable, benefiting government agencies and local residents.
However, senators still harshly criticize the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and the Bureau of Immigration. Hontiveros pointed out that Pagcor's dual role as operator and regulator has led to frequent industry chaos; the Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) policy implemented during Duterte's era has been criticized as a breeding ground for the "candy bribery case," allowing a large number of illegal workers to enter the country easily. She calls for continued joint law enforcement by multiple agencies including PAOCC, PNP, NBI, and the Bureau of Immigration, to eradicate the remaining malignancy.
Overall, the Philippines has made significant progress in combating POGO, but experts and legislators generally believe that only through sustained high-pressure law enforcement and institutional legislation can it ensure that POGO does not re-emerge, allowing the Philippines to completely free itself from the entanglement of this "grey ghost."
