The Philippine National Police (PNP) has created a special task force to identify and dismantle illegal POGO operations amid increasing calls for the offshore gaming industry to be shut down completely.
Just days after PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco reaffirmed his belief that regulation rather than prohibition was the best way to move forward, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil revealed the establishment of the task force to better control illegal POGO operations, according to a report by PhilStar.
“We created a special task force for us to collaborate with other agencies to really address the problem,” Marbil said at the launch of the taskforce, to be called Special Task Force Skinner.
According to PhilStar’s report, the new taskforce comprises three branches – administration, intelligence and operations – and will include contributions from the PNP’s Directorate for Operations, Directorate for Police Community Relations, Anti-Cybercrime Group, Anti-Kidnapping Group, Women and Children Protection Center, Special Action Force, Highway Patrol Group, Aviation Security Group, Maritime Group, Police Security and Protection Group, Directorate for Intelligence and Intelligence Group.
“Through the STF Skimmer, the PNP shall dismantle illegal [POGOs] through intelligence gathering, coordinated law enforcement operations and legal action to uphold the rule of law, protect vulnerable individuals and safeguard national security,” said Brig. Gen. Nicolas Salvador.
The issue of illegal POGOs has made headlines recently after two compounds in Tarlac and Pampanga were raided, allegedly uncovering evidence of human trafficking and other criminal activities.
The Tarlac case has proven particularly intriguing given allegations against former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo that she had secretly supported the POGO’s efforts to avoid detection.
For its part, PAGCOR has been promoting its own efforts to clean up the industry, having last year rebranded POGOs as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) and required all existing licensees to undergo a full relicensing process. As a result, the number of licensed IGLs has been reduced from a high of 298 to just 43, according to PAGCOR.
