CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez assured that those involved in illegal activities related to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) will face the full force of the law.
“Those who are accountable will have to face the law,” Romualdez said during a press conference on Monday at the raided POGO hub operated by Lucky South 99 Inc. in Porac, Pampanga.
Romualdez, along with House officials, inspected the 10-hectare POGO hub with 46 buildings, which was raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in June, this year.
They also inspected the POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac, and a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, where P3.6-billion worth of illegal drugs were seized last year.
The House officials were accompanied by Governor Dennis Pineda and law enforcement authorities.
The inspection was conducted as part of the House’s oversight function, and in line with the crackdown against POGOs initiated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The officials checked what was left inside the POGO hubs, as law enforcement authorities continue to uncover the illegal activities conducted inside the facilities.
Romualdez said the inspection is necessary to guide the creation of new bills on POGO and to decide the fate of displaced workers and foreign nationals.
“Those displaced will be accommodated by the government if they are not involved in illegal activities. We need to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Romualdez added that the Marcos administration is committed to justice and will hold those behind illegal POGO activities accountable.
He said he has already instructed fellow lawmakers to pass an enabling measure banning POGOs.
Romualdez also reiterated on Monday the lower chamber’s commitment to swiftly address the issue.
“We have bills that have already been filed that we are consolidating so that we can put a stop to these illegal activities that we have all discovered happening in these POGO hubs,” he said.