Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Senator Risa Hontiveros hugs Lai Yu Cian (Ivy), a Taiwanese offshore gaming worker who has been a victim of human trafficking and unfair labor practices, during a press conference at the Senate in February 2020. Hontiveros urged the government to take action against illegal and abusive POGOs. Senate PRIB/File

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173259875184920200212-hontiveros-pogo-PRIB-00000467.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Senator Risa Hontiveros hugs Lai Yu Cian (Ivy), a Taiwanese offshore gaming worker who has been a victim of human trafficking and unfair labor practices, during a press conference at the Senate in February 2020. Hontiveros urged the government to take action against illegal and abusive POGOs. Senate PRIB/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Risa Hontiveros hugs Lai Yu Cian (Ivy), a Taiwanese offshore gaming worker who has been a victim of human trafficking and unfair labor practices, during a press conference at the Senate in February 2020. Hontiveros urged the government to take action against illegal and abusive POGOs. <em>Senate PRIB/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Senate officially wrapped up Tuesday its probe into Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), with Sen. Risa Hontiveros offering the success of the investigation to the victims of the crime-infested industry that thrived for years before it was recently outlawed.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/23/how-will-government-implement-marcos-jr-s-ban-on-pogos-1356">How will government implement Marcos Jr.&#x27;s ban on POGOs?</a></div><p>&quot;Kina Alex Chong, Dale Ignacio, alias Ivy, alias Karina, alias Rita, this is for you. Sa mga biktima ng mga POGO sa loob ata labas ng bansa, this is for you,&quot; Hontiveros said in her closing remarks.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/02/12/20/taiwanese-pogo-worker-cries-trafficking-tags-protector-in-govt">Taiwanese POGO worker cries trafficking, tags &#x27;protector&#x27; in gov&#x27;t</a></div><p>Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women and Children, was one of the first senators who flagged the alleged problematic offshore gambling industry back when it was still popular due to its rosy promise of employment and investment. </p><p>The investigation, however, only took off earlier this year after the discovery of an illegal POGO hub in the sleepy town of Bamban in Tarlac, supposedly backed by its then mayor Alice Guo, who turned out to be Chinese national Guo Hua Ping.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/10/-pogo-politics-suspected-china-ties-of-tarlac-town-mayor-alarms-solon-1016">&#x27;POGO-politics&#x27;: Suspected China ties of Tarlac town mayor alarms solon</a></div><p>&quot;Guo Hua Ping, sisiguraduhin ko na hindi ka na makakaulit dito at matututo ang lahat sa gagawin sa&#x27;yo,&quot; she warned.</p><p>Aside from the ouster of Guo as mayor, the Senate probe was instrumental in unraveling several crimes supposedly linked to POGOs, including scam hubs, human trafficking, torture, money laundering, and, allegedly, Chinese espionage and propaganda. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/26/-a-monster-hontiveros-bares-pogo-ties-to-china-espionage-disinformation-ops-1156">&#x27;A monster&#x27;: Hontiveros bares POGO ties to China &#x27;espionage, disinformation&#x27; ops</a></div><p>It also exposed a loophole in the country&#x27;s late birth registration system that was used by foreign nationals to obtain a fake Filipino identity.</p><p>According to Hontiveros, the end of the Senate probe only signals the beginning of a massive legislative reform that they must undertake.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/15/pogo-ban-sparks-regional-efforts-to-combat-human-trafficking-1901">POGO ban sparks regional efforts to combat human trafficking</a></div><p>&quot;This may be the end of our hearings on POGO, but this is only the beginning of the legislative reform that we will strive to push to ensure to every Filipino that there will never be another Alice Guo,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Sa mga kababayan nating Pilipino na hirap na hirap makakuha ng ID, birth certificate, at iba pa, pero araw-araw namumuhay nang may dangal at lumalaban nang patas, this is for you... With many thanks to all our resource persons, this hearing is adjourned,&quot; Hontiveros concluded. </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/aKxpwgdhHM4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>According to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the end of the Senate probe only signals the beginning of a massive legislative reform that they must undertake.</p>

According to Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the end of the Senate probe only signals the beginning of a massive legislative reform that they must undertake.

'This is for you': Senate ends POGO probe with tribute to its victims

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'This is for you': Senate ends POGO probe with tribute to its victims

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 26, 2024 01:43 PM PHT

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