Palace believes signed rules to bury POGO, prevent its return

Malacañang described the signing of the set of rules on the implementation of the Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGO) ban as the “final nail in the coffin,” which would prevent its “resurrection in a different form.” The Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on the Implementation of Executive Order 74, which President Marcos Jr. issued on Nov. 4, 2024, was signed by government agencies on Wednesday, April 22. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who presided over the signing held in Malacañang, said the guidelines “will also clean up the mess the social scourge left behind, from trafficked people who need help, to disposal of buildings in sprawling scam cities.” Recto added that the point in vigorously implementing the POGO ban rules is “not simply to react to crime, but to deny it the space to regroup, the resources to survive, and the impunity to flourish.” The SOP implements Republic Act 12312 or the POGO Ban Act. It also merged 15 other laws and department orders into “one omnibus action plan.” According to Recto, the set of rules establishes “a unified, legally compliant workflow to address illegal POGO and Illegal Gambling Licensees ( IGL) and related crimes, from intelligence gathering through operations, evidence handling, prosecution, asset preservation.” Under the SOP, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) will serve as the principal coordinating agency while the Department of Justice (DOJ) will embed prosecutors early in the case buildup to improve case quality and certainty of conviction. The Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Securities and Exchange Commission will be mobilized for financial and corporate intelligence. The SOP will also address the management and maintenance of seized POGO assets. Marcos ordered the total ban of POGO in 2024. A year later, he signed the Anti-POGO Act.