📷 Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro
IN what appears to be an indirect admission of a security breach, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro hinted at the need to stop – or at least keep Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) hubs away from military bases.
In a statement issued by the Department of National Defense (DND), Teodoro said POGO sites do not operate as intended, even as he claimed its presence adversely affects the country’s financial standing and credit rating.
Speaking during the celebration of Sweden’s National Day and reception for Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson, he insisted that the concern embarks on criminal activities.
“The concern is that we should stop these syndicated criminal activities operating out of our base, which weaken our financial standing, our country ratings, and corrupt our society,” Teodoro was quoted as saying in the DND news dispatch.
The DND chief also finds it rather imperative for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to be more cautious on POGO sites run by China, which according to him should not be classified as traditional offshore gaming sites which is more akin to business processing outsourcing (BPO).
“For example, there are legitimate Pogos where the bets and the payoffs are taken from other countries such as horse racing in Europe, and sports betting; only the matching of bets and payouts are done here, but the bets originate from outside the country,” Teodoro added.
“Yung POGO na alam natin dito sa Pilipinas na operated to evade the ban on gambling in China…the bets originate here. So, may diperensya,” he noted.
Even before Teodoro assumed the top DND post, former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in 2019 expressed alarm about the location of casino and POGO sites near vital military installations.
Lorenzana went as far as speculating that Chinese POGO workers could have already been spying, for which the former Defense chief cited the need to designate a common place where all POGOs should be located.
Previously, security expert Chester Cabalza also hinted at “a lingering suspicion” about the location of POGO sites near Armed Forces of the Philippines sites, which he referred to as a “Trojan horse” that could be activated anytime to make a “surprise attack” against vital military installations.
Interestingly, an island resort that was sold by the family of Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla in Kawit, Cavite in 2018, has already transformed into a POGO island
The site is adjacent to Sangley Point, a former US base in Cavite province.
Chinese casinos also swarm in Metro Manila-based military headquarters, including AFP’s Camp Aguinaldo and the Philippine National Police headquarters Camp Crame in Quezon City; the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Pasay City; the Philippine Army headquarters in Taguig City and the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
