With all the hype that SIM Registration law (which was deliberated in the previous administration) about stopping all scams, esp. from POGOs, have all but miserably failed.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, in a statement, said a number of SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards used for fraud were found in recent raids of illegal POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) sites.
He said scammers linked to the illegal POGOs have exploited regulatory lapses to implement a 2022 law that mandated SIM card registration.
He chided the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for failing in its duty “of ensuring effective implementation of the SIM registration law.”
Gatchalian said the objective of the law is to provide accountability for those using SIM cards and to support law enforcement in tracking perpetrators of crimes committed through phones.
“Because the NTC has apparently forgotten its responsibility, scammers in the POGO industry continue to use SIM cards unabatedly,” he added.
Sought for comment, the agency did not respond.
POGO raids
Gatchalian was referring to raids conducted against Smartweb Technology Corp. in Pasay City, Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban, Tarlac and Lucky South 99 in Pampanga, Business World reported..
Authorities seized SIM cards with false identities and phones and scripts for scamming during the raid of Zun Yuan’s site in March,Gatchalian said, adding that these were “used in undertaking love, cryptocurrency and other investment scams.”
The raid of Lucky South’s site earlier this month also yielded phone devices, he said.
But since the enactment of the SIM Card Registration bill in October 2022, fraudulent activities have risen significantly, said Gatchalian, co-author of the law.
“SIM registration is an important tool in combating online crimes that make use of a phone. The NTC should stop sleeping on its job so we can realize this goal,” he said.
Over the weekend, the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PAOCC) said it was keeping an eye on 58 banned POGOs.
PAOCC spokesman Winston John R. Casio said some of those based in Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Palawan and Cebu might still be operating based on social media monitoring.
PAOCC is hounded by a lack of manpower, with only 49 agents as countless illegal POGOs. It had only identified 43 as legal POGOs in the Philippines.
Impact on investments
All those raids against illegal POGOs would not diminish the appeal of the Philippines to investors, at least this was the observation of American and British executives interviewed by Business World.
“Most seemed to be surprised at the scale and possible Chinese influence, but most believe the Philippine government will be managing it properly,” American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. Executive Director Ebb Hinchliffe said.
“Most foreigners wouldn’t have a clue what a POGO is, let alone the issues surrounding them,” he added.
British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Executive Director and Trustee Christopher James Nelson said illegal POGOs are a specific crime that British investors do not pay attention to.
Foreign investors are focusing more on the Philippines’ economy, the ease of doing business and key legislation, he added.
He said most foreign investors are more interested in the direction of interest rates and the peso. “What is going to happen with interest rates? Linked to that is where is the peso [going]?” he said.
Nelson said the Philippines remains attractive to foreign investors because of its skilled workforce.
American Chamber of Commerce adviser Katherine Stuntz said the Marcos administration should continue to address the issue of illegal POGOs.
“It’s important to consider the broader economic context and other factors shaping investment decisions,” she said.
Economists have said POGOs complicate Philippine efforts against money laundering and may hinder its ambition to become an investment hub.
The country has been on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) gray list of countries under heightened monitoring for dirty money since 2021, partly because of its loosely regulated gaming sector.
Previous legislators have passed the law legalizing POGOs to raise taxes, despite mounting concerns about the social cost of gambling. Even the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines urged last week the Philippine government to bank POGOs when it implicated about 3,000 Chinese nationals in POGO-related crimes since 2019.
Last year, the embassy helped Philippine authorities in closing five POGO hubs and repatriating about 1,000 Chinese citizens.
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