The Philippines public has been urged to flush out any illegal POGO workers attempting to hide in their midst.
Supporting this sentiment is Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers, who was quoted by Philippines news reports, after the POGO ban announced by the Philippines’ President.
He also added that the public may use “various social media platforms, or report directly to the concerned local government units, immigration and law enforcement agents, about the presence of ‘underground’ POGO offices and workers in their respective localities.”
The POGO ban has been followed by several clarifications made by various parties. Most recently, Katrina Ponce Enrile, Administrator and CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), has affirmed that “there are no POGOs (Philippine offshore gaming operations) in the Cagayan special economic zone and freeport. There never was and never will be.”
The CEZA was established as both a gaming authority and a special economic zone by the Republic Act 7922 or the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995.
While the more notable effect of employment loss, state revenue loss and other concerns were mentioned earlier, Deputy Speaker David Suarez claimed that the number of SMS scams have decreased drastically since the ban was placed.
He said this indicated that POGOs have been used for criminal activities, and the ban was the right move in dealing with the issue.
