Manila: Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Thursday ordered the police and law enforcement agencies to intensify the crackdown on illegal gaming and cyber cam hubs that continue to operate despite the ban, which will take effect by the end of December, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.
The order came after Marcos said late Wednesday that the permits and licenses of all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) had already been cancelled and warned that those attempting to continue operating illegally would be meted out with the full force of the law.
Philippine authorities have raided suspected POGO hubs near the capital in recent months after Marcos ordered the ban in July.
However, many gamers regrouped into small groups and set up clandestine hubs in other areas, including in Metro Manila and the central Philippines, to continue committing internet-based crimes, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Marcos wants the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Philippine National Police to intensify their operations against POGOs that are still operating despite the ban,” the PCO said.
It added that Marcos also asked provincial and municipal leaders to be vigilant and intensify the crackdown on POGO remnants.
As of November 29, the PCO said the government had canceled 53,700 offshore gaming employment licenses. It added that 18 internet gaming licensees (IGLs) had also canceled their licenses, and 27 IGLs were winding down their operations.
In July, Marcos ordered a ban on widespread online gaming operations in the Philippines, saying these activities venture into crimes, including financial scams, human trafficking, torture, kidnapping, and murder.
Early this month, the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration reminded foreign workers employed by POGO to comply with the government-mandated deadline to leave the country by the end of the year.
–IANS