29/10/2025
Risa Hontiveros hails Anti-POGO Law as victory against exploitation and crime
Senator Risa Hontiveros is celebrating the enactment of the Anti-POGO Act, declaring the new law a correction of past administrative errors and a crucial step in ending the abuses associated with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry.
As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, Hontiveros has been a leading voice for the abolition of POGOs, citing their detrimental impact on people and institutions.
Hontiveros highlighted the industry's role in the exploitation of minors forced into prostitution for POGO workers, the trafficking of foreign women (such as 'alias Ivy'), and its connection to criminal activities like the alleged scam hubs involving figures like Mayor Alice Guo.
She expressed deep gratitude to government agencies, whistleblowers who assisted in the investigations, and her "POGO-buster" colleague, Senator Win Gatchalian, for spearheading the measure.
With the law's passage, Hontiveros emphasized the government's "clear duty: to ensure that no POGO will ever turn the Philippines into their criminal playground again."
The passage of the Anti-POGO Act is positioned as a culmination of Hontiveros' years-long advocacy and investigation into the industry's social and criminal costs.
