Latest news with #Pogos
South China Morning Post
14-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Philippines election hopeful's LGBTQ woes spark debate on voter focus
A senatorial candidate touted as an opposition bet in the Philippines ' coming midterm elections has faced widespread criticism among progressive voters for her conservative stance on same-sex marriage. Advertisement The controversy surrounding Heidi Mendoza, a former United Nations undersecretary general and ex-state auditor, has sparked discourse on the issues that voters should prioritise to increase headway for independent candidates. Mendoza is not among the top 12 candidates in pre-election surveys, yet she gained traction among progressive voters for her platform on anti-corruption and as a viable opposition choice in tipping the balance in the country's legislative branch. Out of 24 senators, only two belong to its minority bloc, including opposition senator Risa Hontiveros, who has led Senate inquiries on crimes linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) . There will be 12 Senate seats up for grabs in the coming polls. The Philippines ranked 114th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perception Index, with named the country as among the region's 'significant decliners' in 2021 and 2022. Heidi Mendoza pictured with then-UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon (right) in 2015, when she was sworn in as the United Nations' undersecretary general for internal oversight services. Photo: United Nations
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
Chinese-Filipino tycoon's killing sparks fears of organised crime surge in the Philippines
The killing of a prominent ethnic Chinese businessman and his driver – whose bodies were found bound and stuffed in rice sacks by the roadside east of Manila – has reignited fears over a surge in violent kidnappings in the Philippines and the growing threat of organised crime networks. Advertisement Anson Que, 51, CEO of Elison Steel and a well-known figure in the Chinese-Filipino community, was abducted on March 29 along with his driver, Armanie Pabillo, in Bulacan province. Their bodies were found on Wednesday in neighbouring Rizal province, bound with nylon rope and wrapped in duct tape, showing clear signs of assault. 'There were signs of bruises and some body injuries and signs of strangulation,' said Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police (PNP), who confirmed Que's identity on Thursday. Fajardo said the PNP had removed the acting director of its Anti-Kidnapping Group, Colonel Elmer Ragay, amid mounting criticism over a lack of progress in curbing such crimes. Police investigating the area where the bodies of Anson Que and his driver Armanie Pabillo were discovered. Photo: Handout Authorities are investigating a possible link to Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), which were officially banned at the start of this year due to their association with criminal activities but are believed to continue operating underground through illicit networks. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
03-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Sinophobia among Philippine officials? China travel advisory spurs reflection
The Philippines has reassured China that its citizens are not being harassed after the Chinese embassy issued a travel advisory , but analysts warn that local officials may be using Manila's recent crackdowns on espionage and online gaming as cover for their mounting Sinophobia. Advertisement In the advisory issued on Tuesday, the embassy cited incidents of harassment and inspections of Chinese citizens and businesses, along with the increasing number of political gatherings and protests in the Philippines, as risks faced by Chinese nationals. 'Public security in the Philippines has been unstable, with frequent incidents of law enforcement authorities harassing and inspecting Chinese citizens and enterprises,' the embassy said in a statement translated to English. The embassy provided no specific cases, but the advisory came in the wake of the arrest of Chinese nationals for espionage in the Philippines following a crackdown by the local police and military, and a clampdown on the now-banned offshore gaming hubs or so-called Pogos, patronised mostly by Chinese visitors. In January, authorities detained five Chinese nationals for allegedly posing as Taiwanese tourists to spy on the Philippine coastguard and navy in Palawan – an island facing the South China Sea. Advertisement That same month, security forces arrested Chinese national Deng Yuanqing and two Filipino associates for allegedly mapping over 120 key sites on Luzon, including ports and US-accessible military bases.
South China Morning Post
06-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chinese arrivals to Philippines rise despite Pogos ban, bilateral row
The number of tourists from China to the Philippines rose by 20 per cent last year despite a ban on offshore gaming operators (Pogos) and tense relations between the two countries over issues ranging from their maritime dispute to the arrests of Chinese nationals accused of spying in Palawan. Advertisement Chinese arrivals rose to 500,082 last year from 417,128 in 2023, according to a report by on Monday, citing data provided by Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado Joel Anthony. In comparison, the Philippine tourism department reported last month a total of 313,856 Chinese arrivals last year, an increase from 264,922 in 2023. According to BI, the Philippines welcomed 14.7 million international visitors last year, lower than the 17 million arrivals in 2019 before the pandemic. In July last year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr announced an immediate ban on Pogos operating in the country. The move was seen as a blow to the Philippine tourism industry as the once-booming Pogo industry catered mostly to visitors from China.
South China Morning Post
21-02-2025
- South China Morning Post
5 Chinese bosses among 450 arrested in Philippine scam farm raid
Published: 11:30am, 21 Feb 2025 Philippine police arrested more than 450 people in a raid on an allegedly Chinese-run offshore gaming operator in Manila, the country's anti-organised crime commission has said. Initial interrogations suggested the suburban site had been operating as a scam centre, targeting victims in China and India with sports betting and investment schemes, the commission said after the Thursday raid, which saw 137 Chinese nationals detained. 'We arrested around five Chinese bosses,' commission chief Gilberto Cruz said on Friday, adding they faced potential trafficking charges. Banned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr last year, Philippine online gaming operators, or Pogos , are said to be used as cover by organised crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnappings and even murder. 'This raid proves that the previous Pogo workers are still trying to continue their scamming activities despite the ban,' Cruz said. He previously said that about 21,000 Chinese nationals have continued to operate smaller-scale scam operations in the country since the online gaming ban.
