The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines recently publicly expressed its support for the government's policy direction to completely ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO). Assistant Director of NBI, Artie Melvin Matibag, stated at a press conference that President Marcos' decision to completely halt POGO is "the right direction" and an important measure to maintain national security and public interest. Previously, Marcos had signed the "Republic Act No. 12312," also known as the "2025 Anti-POGO Act," on October 23, 2025, which officially classified POGO and related businesses as illegal, while also repealing the "Republic Act No. 11590," which taxed offshore gaming. Matibag pointed out that the operational structure of POGO has a high proportion of Chinese nationals, and investigations into human trafficking-related cases also found some suspects linked to Chinese nationals, making the overall crime chain complex. Additionally, law enforcement also mentioned that the problem of drug inflow is somewhat connected to these networks, with some drug sources linked to China, which are now under key surveillance and investigation.
Mariveles Land Encroachment Case Linked to POGO Interest Chain
Meanwhile, NBI's scope of investigation has extended to a land encroachment case recently exposed in a congressional hearing. On March 23, 2026, 17 farmers from Mariveles town in Bataan province filed a complaint with the NBI, accusing former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and others of encroaching on more than 400 hectares of agrarian reform land, which was supposed to be distributed to over 100 beneficiaries of the comprehensive agrarian reform program. The complainants claimed that the land ownership certificates were transferred to "First Bataan Mariveles Holdings Company" without approval from the Department of Agrarian Reform, and this company is linked to POGO. Preliminary investigations by NBI showed that the handling and transfer of land ownership documents might involve forgery, "raising serious concerns about their legality and validity."
On April 14 this year, Ramir Madriaga, who claimed to have worked for Vice President Sara Duterte, further testified in the House Judiciary Committee that Roque and POGO partners attempted to transform the agricultural land into a POGO hub, claiming that Roque assisted in transferring at least 60 land ownership documents to his POGO partner Danny Coral's enterprise. Madriaga also stated that the kidnapping case Roque filed against him in 2023 was an act of retaliation because he tried to expose Roque's land encroachment activities in Mariveles. Roque had previously faced non-bailable charges of qualified human trafficking for allegedly acting as a legal advisor to the POGO company Lucky South 99, and is reportedly seeking political asylum abroad.
Identity Disguise and Ongoing Tracking of Transnational Crime Networks
NBI's investigation also involves a company registrant registered as a Filipino, "Dan Caro." According to Madriaga's testimony, Danny Coral also serves as the president and CEO of First Bataan Mariveles Holdings Company, and is one of the registrants of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. Law enforcement suspects his real identity might be a Chinese national, who obtained Filipino citizenship through forged birth certificates for business registration, and further verification is still ongoing.
Such methods of identity disguise are not isolated cases. According to previous congressional investigations, NBI found about 1200 forged birth certificates issued to Chinese nationals in South Davao province, with some foreigners holding fake documents involved in economic activities such as land purchases and company registrations, which are restricted to Filipino citizens, and even running for public office. NBI emphasized that based on these multiple risk factors—human trafficking, drug inflow, infiltration of transnational crime networks, and identity fraud issues—the government's policy to completely ban POGO is crucial for protecting national interests. As POGO is completely banned, related criminal networks are gradually being cleared, but some transnational cases and identity fraud issues are still under ongoing investigation.
PASA's official website continues to track Southeast Asian gambling regulation and law enforcement dynamics, noting that the Philippines' POGO ban has evolved from an administrative order to formal legislation, marking a complete shift in the country's policy path from "tax first, ban later" for the offshore gaming industry. However, the challenges of enforcement following the ban remain severe—the revival of underground operation networks, identity laundering in transnational crime chains, and the repatriation and accountability of involved foreign nationals, each posing a continuous test to the Philippine law enforcement system.
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