Manila: Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered police units nationwide to intensify patrols and intelligence operations against illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) activities.

According to Philippines News Agency, Nartatez instructed territorial and national police units to increase visibility and monitoring in coastal and border areas following reports that criminal syndicates are attempting to relocate operations and recruit victims through illegal travel routes. The directive aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order, relayed through Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to strictly enforce the government's total ban on offshore gaming and prevent cross-border criminal activities linked to POGOs.

Authorities are looking into reports of syndicates using sea routes from Palawan to Sabah, followed by overland travel through Malaysia, with possible final destinations in Myawaddy, Myanmar, or Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 'We are working with the intelligence community and our foreign counterparts in relation to this information. But I have already instructed concerned police offices to intensify patrols along backdoor routes that may be exploited by syndicates to continue their illegal POGO operations,' Nartatez said.

He stated that the PNP remains alert to evolving tactics used by organized crime groups. Nartatez added the PNP will further strengthen coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies to verify possible POGO-linked activities abroad and protect Filipinos from falling victim to transnational syndicates.

The heightened enforcement comes after the passage of Republic Act No. 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, which declares offshore gaming operations illegal and reinforces efforts to dismantle networks linked to human trafficking, fraud, and other serious crimes.