PH Navy not yet considering POGOs as ‘national threat’

The Philippine Navy (PN) said Tuesday it is not yet considering the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) as a threat to national security despite the consecutive raids of POGO hubs in the country where illegal activities were allegedly perpetrated.

PN Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad made the remark in light of the appeal of Senator Risa Hontiveros for the National Security Council (NSC) to recommend to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that POGOs should be considered a national threat.

“We haven't yet reached that point. The moment we get there, there will be appropriate announcements to be made,” Trinidad said in a media briefing of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

He said that authorities are still currently looking into possible “deeper connections” of POGOs to other violations that may go beyond common crimes.

“The moment they violate, not only the POGOs, but the moment any establishment violates the rules and regulations of the land, there will be appropriate sanctions that the government may impose upon them,” Trinidad said.

In the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, authorities recently discovered alleged uniforms of the Chinese military in the premises.

One of the seized digital camouflage uniforms has buttons with the initials of “P.L.A.”, which authorities suspect may stand for the People's Liberation Army, the armed organization of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the principal military force of the People's Republic of China.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said it is possible that the uniforms were only used as props by POGO workers in their illicit online transactions.

"The limited number of PLA (People's Liberation Army) uniforms found suggests they are more indicative of use in deceptive activities rather than any preparation for an invasion,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Padilla said. 

Following the Senate women, children, family relations, and gender equality committee's executive session with government agencies last Wednesday, Hontiveros said she hopes Marcos would heed to her call of declaring POGOs as a national threat.

"Hopefully ay dinggin ng NSC ang aming panawagan at diniggin din ni Presidente na pag-aralan ang POGO kung ito ba ay national security threat at kung 'yan ang mabuong opinyon ay sana umaksyon si Presidente laban sa POGOs," she said.

(Hopefully, the NSC will listen to our call and that the President will look into it and study if POGO is indeed a national security threat and if this becomes his opinion we hope he can act on the POGOs.)

The deputy minority leader, who led several investigations into the human trafficking cases linked to POGO operations, also reiterated her call for the President to ban the industry in the Philippines.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, meanwhile, has a different view on the matter.

"We don’t even need to go that far and involve national security," Pimentel said, adding that POGOs should be banned on the grounds that it is against the country's national interest.—RF, GMA Integrated News