TLDR Philippine police are targeting scam hubs that have re-emerged in smaller, harder-to-detect networks after the POGO ban PNP chief General Nartatez confirmed hubs are being dismantled but enforcement is ongoing Locations named include Baclaran, Binondo, Parañaque, Palawan, and Cebu At least 100 “rogue” POGOs were still operating covertly despite a December 31, 2024 shutdown deadline Agencies signed implementing rules in April 2026 to enforce the permanent POGO closure under Executive Order No. 74
Philippine police have ramped up operations against scam hubs that have returned in smaller, harder-to-track forms following the government’s ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
PNP chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. confirmed on Sunday that police are actively checking reports of scam hubs still running through scaled-down networks. He said a number of hubs have already been shut down, but enforcement is continuing.
The concern is that POGO-linked groups may have reorganized after the ban into smaller operations. Former House quad committee chair Robert Ace Barbers raised those concerns, describing the groups as working in a more discreet way.
Barbers named specific locations where these activities are allegedly taking place: Baclaran, Binondo, and Parañaque in Metro Manila, as well as Palawan and Cebu. These areas are now part of the wider police focus.
Coordinated Agency Response
Nartatez said the PNP is working with other government agencies to improve intelligence sharing, surveillance, and coordinated enforcement. The goal is to stop the networks from continuing to operate in hidden or reduced forms.
This latest push follows government agencies signing implementing rules in April 2026 to ensure the permanent closure of POGOs. Those rules enforce Executive Order No. 74, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on November 4, 2024, which banned all POGOs and internet gaming licensees.
The order required all operations to cease