Building Owners Must Face Illegal POGOs Accountability
Property owners leasing spaces to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) involved in illegal activities should share liability under the President’s ban on such operations, local leaders noted. Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez emphasized that landlords must understand who occupies their properties and the nature of their businesses. “There should be responsibility on their part as well ‘di ba?” Fernandez asked during a House quad-committee hearing with law enforcement officials.
Fernandez recalled recent raids at a resort on Alabat Island, Quezon; a commercial building on Makati’s Ayala Avenue; and a hotel in Pasay City. Over 200 Chinese nationals were arrested following these operations. He warned that without penalties for property owners, illegal POGO activities would likely multiply. “Kung hindi natin lalagyan ng penalty itong mga owners, most likely dadami talaga ‘yan,” he said.
Accountability for Property Owners
Fernandez stressed that property owners must be held accountable because it is implausible they were unaware of the illegal activities occurring on their premises. “Kailangan maging accountable din ‘yung mga may-ari ng properties dahil nga kaso hindi naman po ganun kadali na may darating na 188 na Chinese nationals tapos hindi mo alam kung anong i-ooperate sa building mo,” he explained.
Despite these concerns, the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation Group confirmed that no charges have been filed against property lessors involved in the recent raids. However, officials from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) are considering including property owners in criminal cases alongside POGO operators and their staff. PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz cited precedents set in Bamban, Tarlac, and Porac, Pampanga, where owners were held liable.
Urgent Call to Arrest Illegal POGO Workers
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House quad-committee, urged authorities to actively pursue and arrest undocumented POGO workers still at large. This plea came after disclosures that around 9,000 former POGO employees remain in the country without legal clearance.
“To quote Usec Cruz, these foreigners are now ‘pakalat-kalat’ (on the loose). You, the concerned agencies, should be proactive, wag tutulog-tulog,” Barbers warned. He highlighted the national security risks posed by these undocumented workers, suggesting some could be involved in criminal or espionage activities. “For all you know, one of them is your neighbor,” he added.
Since President Marcos banned POGO operations in mid-2024, no centralized database of POGO workers has been established. This gap leaves authorities unable to track or monitor the whereabouts and activities of thousands of foreign workers. Even the Department of Labor and Employment, which issued permits to approximately 15,000 POGO employees, does not have updated location information.
Barbers questioned, “If we do not know how many POGO workers have entered the country and where they are located, how can we monitor their activities?”
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