Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Monday renewed her call for the swift passage of the Anti-POGO Act, emphasizing the urgent need for a regional and coordinated crackdown on transnational crimes linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Hontiveros said the proposed measure would permanently ban POGO operations in the country, mandate criminal accountability for those involved in serious offenses, and remove the option of deportation as a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for foreign offenders. The bill also seeks to repeal tax exemptions granted to POGOs under the previous administration, while allowing the Bureau of Internal Revenue to pursue unpaid taxes.
“POGOs are not just a local menace — they are part of a transnational web of criminality,” Hontiveros said. “ASEAN must take the lead in building a code of conduct to dismantle scam hubs, rescue trafficking victims, and hold criminals accountable.”
She raised alarm over the continued relocation of POGO-linked scam operations to other Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar, where similar trafficking and cyber fraud compounds are reportedly expanding.
To address this, the senator urged stronger regional coordination, especially with countries like the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia, whose citizens have been among the victims of international scam networks.
Hontiveros also called for the revitalization of the Bali Process, a regional forum for dialogue and cooperation on irregular migration, human trafficking, and transnational crime in the Asia-Pacific.
“Governments must recognize trafficked workers as victims — not illegal migrants or criminals. A transnational problem requires a transnational response,” she said.
While she acknowledged recent progress made by the Philippine government, including office raids and a POGO ban, Hontiveros warned that the battle is far from over.
“Our government has taken critical steps to shut down POGOs and expose criminal fronts. But to truly dismantle these networks, we need collective action — locally, regionally, and globally,” she said.