Two days before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) convened with law enforcement agencies and local government units in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon to address the eradication of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
According to a Super Radyo dzBB report by Luisito Santos, DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. led the meeting on Saturday afternoon at Camp Crame, joined by LGU representatives from Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog.
Earlier that day, Abalos conducted a similar meeting in Pampanga with representatives from the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon.
National government officials present at the Camp Crame meeting included Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Director Louie Puracan, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, and representatives from the Department of Justice and Department of Labor and Employment.
The meetings aimed to address problems and issues related to illegal POGOs, focusing on peace, order, and public safety issues concerning scam farms.