Philippines report links POGOs with human trafficking
A committee report has revealed a possible link between Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and crimes such as prostitution and human trafficking.
The Philippines.- A report submitted to the Philippines Senate reveals a possible link between POGOs and an increase in prostitution and human trafficking. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has raided several prostitution dens dedicated to serving Chinese clients, most of them POGO employees.
The report, therefore, links an increase in prostitution with POGOs operating in Manila. Four Chinese nationals working for an unnamed POGO were arrested as part of a special NBI operation that found a Taiwanese national had been transferred to the company then had her passport was confiscated and was sexually harassed.
The report stated: “The Committee recommends the forging of bilateral treaties to protect foreign women from trafficking and prostitution, inasmuch as law enforcement reported the lack of responsive coordination from the Chinese embassy when the matter of the rescued Chinese women were brought to their attention.”
Last October, the Central Bank of the Philippines reminded banks and financial institutions to deal only with registered POGOs. In 2021, POGOs were ordered to register for the electronic reporting system managed by the AMLC. The decision followed an amendment to the Philippines’ Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 that includes real estate developers and brokers, and offshore gaming operators under the Act.
