THE National Bureau of Investigation-Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (NBI-Semro) apprehended 59 individuals, mostly Chinese nationals, in connection with an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) operation, on Friday, December 6, 2024, at a 1.5-hectare agricultural warehouse hub in New Malitbog, Barangay Manay, Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
NBI-Semro Regional Director Atty. Archie Albao, during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters, said that the suspects included 55 Chinese nationals, three Malaysians, and one Filipino. Many of the suspects reportedly came from Manila.
The operation, described as a scam hub, had been active for over three months. Confiscated items included foreign IDs, shotguns, and computers.
“Most of these Chinese nationals are from Manila lahat [at] dinala dito dahil nag-sarado ang Pogo nila so they operation siguro mga three months palang. Yung lugar discreet, it is a compound na dati parang agricultural bodega (Most of these Chinese nationals are from Manila. They were brought here after their Pogo operations were shut down. This location, previously an agricultural warehouse, has been discreetly used as a compound for their activities),” the official stated.
This marks the first raid on a Pogo establishment in the region, according to Albao, who dismissed speculation that Davao has become a target for offshore gaming activities.
The suspects are now under the custody of NBI-Semro while the investigation, in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), is ongoing.
“Ngayon we are going to coordinate with the immigration if meron silang pending cases dito sa Pilipinas pero kung wala, we are pretty sure na this operations nila is not licensed (We are coordinating with immigration to check if any of them have pending cases in the Philippines. If not, we are confident their operations here are unlicensed),” he added.
POGOs, rebranded as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGL) in October 2023, are Philippine-based firms offering online gaming services primarily to foreign markets, especially China. Pogo operations in the Philippines began in 2003 but were banned by President Bongbong Marcos during his 2024 State of the Nation Address (Sona). DEF
