The abandoned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga have become virtual ghost towns six months after these were raided for various allegations of criminal activities.
In Saleema Refran’s special report on 24 Oras on Tuesday, the once-busy POGO compound in Bamban town has transformed into a virtual ghost town where unkempt grass mix with dust covered luxury vehicles.
The compound is located in the town of dismissed mayor Alice Guo, who is facing charges in relation to illegal POGO operations in the country.
Among the renowned features of the Baofu compound is its Olympic-sized swimming pool. Now, the pool no longer has water after the water and utilities in the property were cut off.
A tunnel underneath a building connected to a wine cellar and a villa. It can be accessed via a steel.
The offices within the compound show visible signs of disrepair. Some of its partitions have been destroyed while the belongings of POGO workers, spoiled food, and garbage are strewn all over the tables and floors.
The POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga is also in the same state.
Hours before authorities raided the Lucky South 99 compound, POGO workers swarmed the exits in an attempt to escape.
Now, only a few people are left in the compound, including police who are guarding the compound. A herd of goats walk around and eat wild grass in the property.
The work areas and villas where POGO bosses lived remain locked and sealed. However, GMA Integrated News was given access to the dormitories, where doorways have cobwebs.
The dormitories are a mess after POGO workers hurriedly left it in an attempt to escape.
One room had a foul smell due to rotting food.
According to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), eight large POGO hubs have been raided since 2022. All are already abandoned.
The properties of the raided POGO hubs, like the Baofu Compound, are under a preservation order, which means it is under the government’s care while the forfeiture cases are ongoing.
“Kasi doon sa Human Trafficking Law natin, may provision doon, yung instruments and proceeds of the crime, so yung mga kasangkapan at yung mga kinita mula sa krimen ng human trafficking, ay maaaring ma-forfeit sa estado para napakikinabangan ng mga biktima ng human trafficking,” Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said.
(There is a provision under the Human Trafficking Law that the instruments and proceeds of the crime, including the income from the crime of human trafficking, can be forfeited to the State so that human trafficking victims can benefit from it.)
“Ang iniisip natin dito is mapakinabangan ng gobyerno. Like yung mga malalaking POGO hubs na yan, pwedeng gawing mga eskwelahan niya, pwedeng gawing mga kampo o training centers. Kung halimbawa, manalo yung kaso namin at maging property ito ng gobyerno at pwede namang ibenta kasi yung mga biktima ng human trafficking pwede silang matulungan nito,” said PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz.
(The government can benefit from this. The big POGO hubs can be turned into classrooms, camps or training centers. If we win the case, these POGO hubs can become government properties and also be sold and used to help human rights victims.)
A former POGO hub in Pasay is now used as PAOCC’s detention facility as well as a Department of Social Welfare and Development processing center for rescued street dwellers.
Leechiu Property Consultants, a real estate consultancy firm, estimates that more than 1 million square meters of office space will be vacant due to the POGO ban.
The number excludes the landlords of condo units or residential property.
“It will take three to five years before the market will stabilize again. The biggest impact of this is the sentiment of the investor,” said David Leechiu, CEO of Leechiu Property Consultants.
Based on the data of the Department of Finance, POGOs contributed about P99.25 billion to the economy annually.
However, the National Economic and Development Authority said the financial benefits are incomparable to the negative effects brought by POGOs to the country.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
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