Manila: The government rolled out on Wednesday a single, unified set of rules to strengthen inter-agency coordination and equip concerned agencies with stronger legal tools as they enforce the nationwide ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). Executive Secretary Ralph Recto led the signing of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on the implementation of the POGO ban in a ceremony at Malaca±an Palace in Manila.
According to Philippines News Agency, the unified rules were adopted to ensure the full implementation of Executive Order (EO) 74 and Republic Act (RA) 12312 or the POGO Ban Act, both signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in 2025. The SOP consolidates the two POGO ban orders, along with 15 other laws and department orders, into 'one omnibus action plan,' covering intelligence gathering, operations, evidence handling, prosecution, and asset preservation.
It establishes a 'unified, legally compliant' workflow to address illegal POGO, illegal gambling licensees (IGLs), and related crimes. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) will take the lead, serving as the principal coordinating agency, while the Department of Justice (DOJ) will embed prosecutors early in case buildup to improve case quality and increase the likelihood of conviction.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Securities and Exchange Commission, on the other hand, will handle financial and corporate intelligence related to the 'fruits of the illicit activities.' The SOP also covers the management and maintenance of seized POGO assets. The handling of POGO impact will be victim-centered, tapping the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide temporary shelter for victims, ensure non-criminalization of trafficked persons, and grant access to witness protection.
Recto said the signing of the SOP is a vital step in carrying out Marcos' directive against POGOs 'with speed, resolve, and coordination.' He said the new guidelines will "clean up the mess" left by the social scourge, preventing the possible resurgence of the illegal industry.
'These SOPs, then, will evolve our approach-from merely shutting down hubs to preserving assets, seizing illicit resources, securing convictions, protecting victims, and cutting these criminal enterprises off from the financial and corporate networks that sustain them,' he said. 'They come at a crucial time, because POGOs are an ever-evolving menace, deeply enmeshed in transnational crime networks, and all too capable of reappearing under new names, new fronts, and new methods each time they are struck, unless government remains vigilant, coordinated, and relentless,' he added.
Recto emphasized the importance of the new rules in ensuring that the law is 'not a blunt instrument, but a precise and sophisticated one, capable of dismantling illegal POGO operations completely and bringing all those behind them to justice.' He said the latest move serves as a warning to all POGOs that their operations in the country will not flourish.
'And that, ultimately, is the point of all this: not simply to react to crime, but to deny it the space to regroup, the resources to survive, and the impunity to flourish. May this signing today send a clear and unequivocal message to POGOs: your time is up, no leeway remains, and the full force of the law will now bear down on you.'
