The Philippine National Police (PNP) stated that the new standard operating procedure (SOP) for implementing the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) adds teeth to the fight against guerrilla-style operations. It forms part of the government's ongoing crackdown on illegal Pogo activities. PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the measure strengthens efforts to end remaining Pogo networks.
MANILA, Philippines — The government's inter-agency standard operating procedure (SOP) for enforcing the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) adds more teeth to the campaign against guerrilla-style gambling operations, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
"The PNP stands firmly behind the new framework as part of the government’s continuing crackdown on illegal Pogo activities," Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Friday. "This new measure adds more teeth in our ongoing campaign to finally put an end to the remaining guerrilla-type operations of Pogos in the country," he added.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto announced on Wednesday that the SOP, signed by various government agencies, puts the "final nail in the coffin" for Pogos. It tasks the President Anti-Organized Crime Commission with coordination; the Department of Justice with case build-up; the Anti-Money Laundering Council and Securities and Exchange Commission with tracking illicit funds; and the Department of Social Welfare and Development with aiding trafficked individuals.
"The success of this effort lies in the proper coordination and strong cooperation among agencies and stakeholders," Nartatez said. Law enforcement will persist until all elements of the illegal Pogo network are dismantled.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. first announced the Pogo ban in his 2024 State of the Nation Address due to associated illegal activities, formalizing it via Executive Order No. 74 on November 5, 2024, and reinforcing it with Republic Act No. 12312, the Pogo Ban Act, signed last October.