Teodoro blasts POGOs' ill effects

DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Wednesday that criminal syndicates posing as Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) compromise national security and taint the image of the country.

«The concern is that we should stop these syndicated criminal activities operating out of our base, which weaken our financial standing, our country's ratings [and] corrupt our society,» Teodoro said.

Criminal activities behind POGOs were revealed following the arrest of some of their employees for engaging in felonies, including kidnapping, fraudulent financial acts, torture, human trafficking and prostitution.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (PHOTO: MIKE ALQUINTO)

Two POGO establishments raided by authorities in Bamban, Tarlac, and Porac, Pampanga, were found to have been used as fronts for criminal activities.

In Makati City, a Chinese POGO personnel was arrested for threatening a worker with a gun and possessing suspected hacking gadgets.

«Now, I do not characterize these establishments as POGOs. These are not POGOs. POGOs, traditionally, are business processing outsourcing,» Teodoro said.

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The military is now validating claims that POGOs were used for espionage by China in connection with the West Philippine Sea territorial dispute.

«Right now, we are looking into deeper connections of the POGO to other violations which may go beyond common crimes,» said Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad.

POGOs mainly cater to Chinese who want to circumvent the gambling ban in China.