Voters told: Avoid candidates with POGO links

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February 25, 2025 | 5:45pm

MANILA, Philippines — A House leader urged Filipinos to steer clear of candidates with ties to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

In a press conference on Monday, February 24, House Assistant Majority Leader Ernesto “Ernix” Dionisio Jr. (Manila, 1st District) described POGOs as part of a “web of lies and criminality.”

He cited law enforcement findings from raids on illegal POGO operations, which have been linked to online fraud, money laundering and human trafficking.

“The problem we’re facing now is that the same individuals involved in illegal gambling in POGOs are trying to enter the government. If you look around, so many are running for office — they want to get into government to protect their illegal activities once again,” Dionisio alleged in Filipino. 

He added that some candidates may be benefiting from the support of POGOs. These hubs, however, have been banned already by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. since November 2024 through Executive Order 74. 

Dionisio’s claims align with the House Quad Committee’s probe into POGO operations, which was also prompted by the Senate’s investigation into dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. 

Guo was accused of involvement in illegal activities in her town for engaging in business partnerships with foreigners who have criminal records. 

She also faced scrutiny over her nationality after documents indicated she is a Chinese citizen. Guo was elected mayor in the 2022 elections.

The congressional probe also found that some individuals, including Chinese nationals, have taken advantage of legal loopholes and obtained fraudulent birth certificates to acquire land and run businesses like POGOs in the country.

Some of the personalities investigated by the mega panel include former President Rodrigo Duterte’s presidential adviser Michael Yang, who allegedly has connections to POGOs and the illegal drug trade through his brothers.

The Quad Committee has proposed bills to close legal loopholes on POGOs and prevent the fraudulent entry of foreign nationals into the country.

RELATED: Quad-filed bill seeks to swiftly cancel foreigners' fraudulent birth certificates

“This shows that the Quad Committee is headed in the right direction, as we were able to unearth the cobwebs of all the sophisticated networkings of of illegal POGO operators,” Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (Lanao del Sur, 1st District) said in a mix of English and Filipino.

At the campaign kick-off for Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas’ senatorial candidates, Marcos asserted that none of them were involved in illegal POGOs.

RELATED: What have Marcos bets done about POGOs, China? A review of track records

Since the POGO ban and the leadership change in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), authorities have intensified their crackdown, resulting in raids on several hubs across the country.