Malacañang calls new rules on POGOs 'the final nail in the coffin'

Malacañang has described the newly signed implementing rules for the Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) ban as the “final nail in the coffin,” saying it effectively blocks any attempt for the industry to return in another form.

The Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the implementation of Executive Order No. 74, issued by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Nov. 4, 2024, was signed by multiple government agencies on Wednesday, April 22.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who presided over the signing in Malacañang, said the guidelines aim not only to enforce the ban but also to address the wider consequences left by the industry.

He said the SOP “will also clean up the mess the social scourge left behind, from trafficked people who need help, to disposal of buildings in sprawling scam cities.”

Recto added that the implementation is intended to prevent criminal networks from reorganizing. “Not simply to react to crime, but to deny it the space to regroup, the resources to survive, and the impunity to flourish,” he said.

The SOP enforces Republic Act 12312, or the POGO Ban Act, and consolidates 15 other laws and agency directives into a single “omnibus action plan.”

Under the new framework, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) will serve as the lead coordinating body. The Department of Justice will embed prosecutors early in investigations to strengthen case-building and improve conviction rates.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Securities and Exchange Commission will also assist in tracking financial flows and corporate links tied to illegal operations.

The SOP further outlines procedures for handling seized assets linked to POGO operations.

Marcos ordered a total ban on POGOs in 2024 and signed the Anti-POGO Act the following year, formalizing the prohibition and strengthening enforcement mechanisms.