MANILA, Philippines – Nasa 100 Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) ang nag-ooperate pa rin sa buong bansa sa kabila ng anunsyo ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na total ban sa naturang sektor, ayon sa Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
Sa ulat mula sa Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), sinabi ni PAOCC chief Gilbert Cruz na bagamat marami nang mga POGO ang nagsara, may halos isangdaan pa rin silang minomonitor.
“Many have also closed based on the report given by Pagcor, while others are continuously winding down their operations,” sinabi ni Cruz sa panayam ng Radyo 630.
“We are still monitoring a few Pogos left; before, there were about 200, but now there are only around 100,” dagdag pa.
Kahit na maghati-hati ang mga POGO na ito sa mas maliliit na grupo, tiwala umano si Cruz na mahuhuli at maipapasara ang mga ito.
“Even if they hide into smaller groups, the indicators are still there — they operate at night because of the time zone. Even if they split into smaller units, we can catch them,” paliwanag ni Cruz. RNT/JGC