On July 1, Philippine Senator Zhang Qiaowei publicly called on the government to take stronger measures to prevent the resurgence of illegal online gambling platforms, especially to be vigilant about the risk of the "POGO model" re-emerging in the local cyberspace. He pointed out that despite multiple warnings issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the current crackdown on illegal gambling is still insufficient, and there is an urgent need to integrate national department resources for a comprehensive blockade.
Zhang Qiaowei emphasized that the current proliferation of online fraud and gambling is actually a mutated continuation of the previous "POGO" system. If regulation is lax, these illegal platforms will form a larger and more covert local scam chain, further endangering public security and economic safety. He warned, "The Philippines' fight against illegal POGO is far from over, and the problem has not been fundamentally resolved."
Therefore, Zhang Qiaowei called for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to immediately take joint action to block all domestic access to illegal gambling websites and cut off these platforms' channels for attracting gamblers and becoming tools for fraud.
The Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Aguda, also confirmed that many of the core personnel involved in the cases were Filipinos who previously worked in POGO. They mastered the technical details of platform operation and, after POGO was banned, did not change their line of work but instead formed underground scam teams in a more covert manner, using online systems to target victims for fraud.
Zhang Qiaowei stressed that if the government cannot quickly cut off the financial flows and access paths of these illegal online platforms, online fraud cases will escalate, with continuously increasing risks. He stated bluntly, "The government must fulfill its promise to the people, resolutely combat cybercrime, and ensure national security and public interest."
This call reflects the Philippines' ongoing vigilance against online gambling and telecommunications fraud, and also shows the urgent need for relevant departments to integrate resources and strengthen regulation. Whether the resurgence of the "POGO model" can be effectively curbed will directly affect the cybersecurity and social stability of the Philippines.
