Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos rallied local government leaders in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon to use their “visitorial powers” to crack the whip of illegal POGOs and scam farms.
“We’re not going to wait for a problem to happen anymore. We’re going to take action here,” Abalos said in a meeting with LGU heads held at Camp Crame yesterday.
“With all the visitorial powers given to the mayors, to each national and local agency, we’ll combine them to map out the illegal activities in the areas,” he added.
He also called on suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo to face allegations linking her to the illegal POGO that was raided in her town.
“She must comply, or else she could be held in contempt here, and we all know what follows—she could be arrested,” he said.
Abalos asked local government units to start listing establishments with questionable activities as Pampanga Vice Governor Lilia Pineda expressed concern over the impact of illegal POGOs and scam farms in the region.
Abalos said of 43 licensed POGOs based on the PAGCOR data, none were located in the Central Luzon region.
“There are no licensed POGOs here in Central Luzon. So we need to find out where these scam hubs are,” he said, adding that local government units need to come up with a target and timetable in the fight against illegal POGOs, which the DILG will monitor.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil reassured attendees the police force is committed to combating illegal activities and will not tolerate any involvement in such operations.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) provided updates on cybercrime hubs and emphasized the importance of investigating and addressing these issues promptly.
Calls for a total ban on POGOs have been mounting, with lawmakers, members of the Cabinet’s economic cluster as well as big business groups supporting the move.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan expressed support for the total ban despite a potential revenue loss of as much as P20 billion.
“It may be a big number, but the cost and particularly social cost of POGOs are quite high,” he said.
“We are trying to position our country as a legitimate place for business where we are trying to attract investors to come, tourists to come and so the least that we want is, to have a reputation. The criminals are still here,” he added
While the executive debates its pros and cons, several local governments have unilaterally banned POGO activities within their borders.
The Batangas City Council was the latest among them when it went ahead and passed a resolution prohibiting all POGOs amid growing security concerns around such operations.
POGO operations were earlier banned in Valenzuela City and the entire province of Bulacan, among other jurisdictions.
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