ACTING Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has declared that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) no longer exist in Davao City—or anywhere else in the country.
Speaking on his Basta Dabawenyo program on Sunday, August 17, 2025, Duterte stressed that any remaining gambling activities should not be mistaken for licensed Pogos.
“Lagi nilang binabalik ang Pogo na label kase yun yung attack nila sa previous administration. NBI, wala nang Pogo ngayon, if meron man it’s illegal online gambling offshore. Bahala kayo, mag-aksaya kayo ng panahon (They keep bringing back the Pogo label because that was their attack against the previous administration. NBI, there are no more Pogos now; if there are, it’s illegal offshore online gambling. It’s up to you — go ahead and waste your time),” he said.
The statement comes a year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a total ban on Pogos during his 2024 State of the Nation Address, citing their links to scams, money laundering, human trafficking, and organized crime.
Following the directive, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) revoked all Pogo licenses, while Executive Order No. 74 ordered the complete shutdown of offshore gaming operations by December 31, 2024.
Island Cove in Cavite, once known as a major Pogo hub, shut down operations on November 30, 2024, and was officially certified closed by mid-December.
In Mindanao, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) carried out major raids, including one in December 2024 at a Panabo City warehouse where 59 people — mostly Chinese nationals — were arrested. Though a court later released them in April 2025 via writs of habeas corpus, investigations into cybercrime evidence are ongoing.
Just last week, on August 12, NBI agents raided a residential home in Montclair Highlands, Buhangin, Davao City, seizing computers, laptops, and phones used in illegal operations. Eight Chinese nationals were arrested and now face charges under multiple laws, including the Anti-Illegal Gambling Act, Anti–Money Laundering Act, and the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.
Authorities warned that after the crackdown, illegal operators shifted tactics—running smaller, hidden setups in residential areas to evade detection.
NBI-Semro reiterated its commitment to dismantling these underground networks, noting that the battle is no longer against licensed Pogos but against illegal gambling operations that endanger communities. DEF