TAKING a cue from the reported Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo)-like activities in Cebu, the Cebu City Government will take a second look at the business establishments operating in the locality, including business process outsourcing (BPO) firms.
Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, in a press conference on Thursday, July 25, 2024, said he will order the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) to review all records and documents of all registered businesses in the city.
He also tasked the BPLO with conducting on-site inspections of BPOs and other establishments suspected of engaging in Pogo-like activities under the guise of legitimate businesses.
“I will not discount those possibilities,” Garcia said.
Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. earlier said that he would verify reports of “Pogo-like activities” in the province, according to information he received from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
Abalos said that he would meet with each local chief executive in the province next week to intensify the crackdown on activities similar to those of illegal Pogos monitored in the Visayas.
The acting mayor clarified that there were no registered Pogo businesses in the city of Cebu out of its more than 40,000 registered businesses.
The City Government has constant coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to assist in the eradication of Pogo, and Pogo-like activities, Garcia said.
Garcia also said that he welcomed the upcoming meeting with Abalos to collaborate on eradicating the said illegal activities.
“Full support, full cooperation gyud ang Cebu City Government when it comes to going after sa illegal Pogo-activities here in the city (Cebu City Government is full support, full cooperation when it comes to going after illegal Pogo-activities here in the city),” Garcia said.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said earlier this week that no active Pogo hub has been reported or monitored in their respective localities.
In Central Visayas, Lt. Col. Gerald Pelare, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 7 Director Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said that the five Pogos observed in Cebu in the past years are inactive.
The crackdown was in compliance with the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 22, to ban Pogo operations in the country due to the proliferation of crimes related to it.
The crimes and illegal activities related to Pogo include financial fraud, money laundering, human trafficking, prostitution, torture, and murder.
Welcome development
In a joint statement from Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines president Jack Madrid and Contact Center Association of the Philippines president Mickey Ocampo, during the ongoing Contact Islands 2024 at Cebu City, they welcomed Garcia’s actions to ensure there is no illicit Pogo activity for businesses registered under BPOs in the city.
“We are certain that these inspections will be performed with minimal disruptions to operations,” both said in a statement sent to SunStar Cebu on Thursday. / with reports from KOC