An area in the Porac, Pampanga POGO hub after it was raided by authorities. Office of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian

Pogo 07162024

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17211093680311720152724443449157683_1012710360211758_3566649796931417697_n.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="An area in the Porac, Pampanga POGO hub after it was raided by authorities. Office of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">An area in the Porac, Pampanga POGO hub after it was raided by authorities. <em>Office of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — What would it take for the Philippines&#x27; security officials to finally classify <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)</span> as a national security threat?</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/13/pogo-paradise-how-the-philippines-became-a-hub-for-illegal-pogos-1524">• POGO Paradise: How the Philippines became a hub for illegal POGOs</a></div><p>This was the question of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to the <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">National Security Council</span> (NSC), which believes that the harms brought by POGOs have yet to reach the level of danger required for such escalation.</p><p>&quot;If we look at national security, we look at some elements like territorial integrity, sovereignty, social cohesiveness, political stability, and at this point in time we do not see that happening [with POGOs],&quot; NSC Assistant Director General Jude Lauengco told a Senate panel on Tuesday.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/10/how-a-ph-navy-officer-became-incorporator-of-nearly-200-companies-some-pogos-1537">• How a PH Navy officer became &#x27;incorporator&#x27; of nearly 200 companies, some POGOs</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/5/15/kidnapped-pogo-worker-rescued-in-cavite-after-10-days-2203">• Kidnapped POGO worker rescued in Cavite after 10 days</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/1/paocc-obtains-torture-videos-from-illegal-pogo-in-porac-2224">• PAOCC obtains torture videos from illegal POGO in Porac</a></div><p>The NSC is the principal advisory body tasked with coordination and integration of plans and policies affecting national security.</p><p>Senators have been urging the body to elevate the POGO issue to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/11/-no-redeeming-value-lawmakers-urge-marcos-to-ban-pogos-1909">• &#x27;No redeeming value&#x27;: Lawmakers urge Marcos to ban POGOs</a></div><p><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Lauengco</span> said that at this point, POGOs were only a &quot;<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">very serious national concern.&quot;</span></p><p>&quot;We have seen the extent of criminal activities conducted in some POGO facilities... which to us has become a very serious national concern that is now being addressed by appropriate law enforcing agencies,&quot; he said.</p><p>But Gatchalian argued that the crimes linked to POGOs, such as human trafficking, prostitution, among others, were enough to warrant a more serious classification from the NSC.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/10/-pogo-politics-suspected-china-ties-of-tarlac-town-mayor-alarms-solon-1016" id="isPasted">• &#x27;POGO-politics&#x27;: Suspected China ties of Tarlac town mayor alarms solon</a></div><p>&quot;For me all the fingerprints of a national security threat is already there... All the red flags... In my opionion, we should not wait for the detonation of a bigger scenario... Ano pang hinihintay natin?&quot; Gatchalian said.</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">For Lauengco, the POGO </span><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">issue &quot;is handled pretty well,&quot; adding &quot;we are satisfied by how this is handled by law enforcement and regulatory agencies.&quot; </span></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/14/dnd-clarifies-teodoro-s-remarks-on-pogos-1332">• DND clarifies Teodoro’s remarks on POGOs</a></div><p>Last June, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año  said that the existence of POGO sites in the country did not yet constitute a “national security threat” that would &quot;necessitate the direct involvement of the defense forces.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RPVfIqSHUOQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>At this point, the NSC only classifies POGOs as a "very serious national concern."</p>

At this point, the NSC only classifies POGOs as a "very serious national concern."

What's stopping NSC from classifying POGOs as 'national security threat' | ABS-CBN

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What's stopping NSC from classifying POGOs as 'national security threat'

What's stopping NSC from classifying POGOs as 'national security threat'

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 16, 2024 02:31 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

senator

POGO

NSC

security threat

national security

Sherwin Gatchalian

crime

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