The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is considering the gradual phaseout of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country.

In a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the government should first try phasing out POGOs gradually before going for a total ban.

“So, siguro before we direct ourselves to a discussion on total ban, we could probably revisit discussions of phaseout,” Casio said.

Casio stressed the phaseout, if ever implemented, would pave the way for POGOs’ elimination in the Philippines.

“A gradual phasing out maybe, a transitional mechanism that would lead to the total eradication of these scam farms,” he explained.

This developed as the PAOCC official said only 42 POGOs are legally operating in the Philippines.

Casio said 41 of the POGOs are in Metro Manila while the other one is in Kawit, Cavite.

On the other hand, 298 POGO licenses were canceled by the government, he said. Many of them are operating illegally in different parts of the country.

“So kung mayroon ka sa Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol all the way to Mindanao and Central Visayas, ibig sabihin lahat iyon ilegal,” Casio said.

“Out of the 298 [POGOs] that were canceled, mayroon tayong 42 na legally operating. A good number of those 298 are still operating. What does that mean? That even if you totally banned them, you don’t necessarily take them out of the picture,” he said.

“A good number of them have gone underground,” Casio added.

Calls for the government to get rid of POGOs intensified due to illegal activities linked to the industry. Presidential News Desk