Pagcor denies POGOs near EDCA sites in Cagayan

PAMPANGA, Philippines – The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) denied on Wednesday, July 17, during a joint hearing of the House committee on public order and safety and games and amusements that there were Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) near the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in Cagayan province.

“In the list of our Pagcor licensees, there is not a single license granted by Pagcor to any IGL (internet gaming licensee) operator that is next to or inside the EDCA sites,” Pagcor chairperson Alejandro Tengco said in Filipino.

“In this hall, I want to inform you, no license has ever been issued by Pagcor within EDCA or next to EDCA sites specifically in the Cagayan area,” he added.

Two EDCA sites are in Cagayan province: Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo town, and the Camilo Osias Naval Base Camilo in Sta. Ana town, which is about 7.8 kilometers from the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), according to Google Maps.

Cagayan 3rd district representative Joseph Lara said he had to clarify the issue with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on the alleged POGOs near these EDCA sites.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the information was based from intelligence reports and documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CEZA administrator and chief executive officer Katrina Ponce Enrile, in a press release dated March 20, said CEZA has “been issuing interactive gaming licenses, not offshore gaming licenses.”

CEZA was the first economic zone in the Philippines to offer to host of financial technology companies, and the first authorized zone to explore online gaming in the Philippines which have been operating in the space for over two decades, the press release read.

Rappler reached out to CEZA to validate the names of business locators allegedly linked to POGOs. We will update this story once we receive its response.

Lara said there are still around 800 Chinese nationals enrolled at a university in Tuguegarao City and added that the numbers may fluctuate as short course programs, which are taken between three months to a year, are also being offered. At least four universities in Cagayan denied the influx of Chinese students.

Lara and Isabela 6th District Representative Faustino Dy V had filed separate resolutions seeking to investigate the increase of Chinese students in Cagayan.

Lara stressed that the connection between POGOs and Chinese students should not be disregarded, citing intelligence reports. 

“As for Chinese students in Tuguegarao, they are still enrolled there. Per last hearing (more than) 800 enrolled. These are moving numbers since there are three months, six months, or one year programs at Saint Paul University (Tuguegarao),” Lara told Rappler on Thursday.

“This is a national issue now. I hope not, but it’s not far from happening to us either,” Lara said. “So we can shed light in that northern part, especially because we are close to the West Philippine Sea. I believe people in our province need to know in order to alleviate the troubling issue of security in us.” –Rappler.com