Philippines intensifies crackdown on illegal gamers

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on December 12 ordered the police and law enforcement agencies to intensify the crackdown on illegal gaming and cyber cam hubs that continue to operate despite the ban, which will take effect by the end of December, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

The order came after the President said on December 11 that the permits and licenses of all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) had already been canceled and warned that those attempting to continue operating illegally would be meted out with the full force of the law.

Philippine authorities have raided suspected POGO hubs near the capital in recent months after Marcos ordered the ban in July.

However, many gamers regrouped into small groups and set up clandestine hubs in other areas, including in Metro Manila and the central Philippines, to continue committing internet-based crimes.

Early this month, the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration reminded foreign workers employed by POGO to comply with the government-mandated deadline to leave the country by the end of the year./.