PAOCC warns of ‘POGO politics’

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) warned of what it describes as “POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) politics”, as it said some players may support candidates in the 2025 Midterm Elections.

According to PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio, POGOs are still operating and could possibly be backing candidates for the coming polls, even as a ban on operations has been ordered by Malacañang.

“Meron pa rin ‘yang POGO politics na ‘yan, kasi ‘yung mga Chinese na nandiyan sa tabi-tabi, mga Chinese criminal syndicates,” he said in a report by Jonathan Andal on GMA’s 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday.

“Bagamat wala kami o iba pang mga ahensyang natuturo na siyang partikular na tao, hindi malayong isipin na meron din pinapatakbo mga ‘yan o tinutulungan,” he added.

(POGO politics is still around, because of the Chinese, the Chinese criminal syndicates… Although we, along with other agencies, cannot pinpoint a particular individual, it is not far fetched to think that they are backing someone.)

Casio said there are still some POGOs that continue to operate and have even hired additional employees even as they are supposed to wind down operations and close down by the end of the year, as seen in a POGO hub recently raided in Pasay City.

“Nung na-raid natin ito, mayroon tayong nakuha na mga bagong pasok lang (When we raided, we found fresh hires), so meaning to say, they have no intention of leaving,” he said.

Casio’s remarks come as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now receiving certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the upcoming midterm elections.

Among the prospective candidates is dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who has been linked to POGOs and criminal syndicates. Her lawyer on Friday said she will file her COC this week.

The Comelec said it will accept her COC if she files, but noted that she may be disqualified unless she secures a temporary restraining order from the Office of the Ombudsman.

According to Representative Jil Bongalon, the sponsor of the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) budget for 2025, Guo has over P1 billion in assets that have been frozen by the Court of Appeals until January next year.

“Prior to the issuance of the freeze order, nakita ho ng AMLC na malaki ‘yung mga naging (the AMLC saw that there were huge) series of withdrawals doon sa mga bank accounts,” he said.

“Siguro na-anticipate na nga nila. So inunahan na nila (Maybe they anticipated it, so they made preemptive steps) by withdrawing their cash in different banks, plus disposing several properties at a lower price,” he added. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News