Authorities raid illegal POGO hub at RCBC Plaza in Makati

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) raided the POGO hub on the 21st floor of Yuchengco Tower, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Plaza, Ayala Avenue, Makati City, on Wednesday, March 19¹. Authorities apprehended around 200 individuals of various nationalities, including Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysians, Taiwanese, Brazilians, and Hong Kong nationals¹.

Authorities were initially serving an arrest warrant for a certain Dennis E. Esguerra, who was facing robbery charges. The warrant was issued by Judge Rico Sebastian D. Liwanag of the National Capital Region's Regional Trial Court, Branch 136, Makati City, on February 28¹.

The business, identified as Flying Future Company, was found facilitating online gaming services in multiple countries, including Japan, China, Germany, France, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and Portugal. PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz also said the company was involved in cryptocurrency transactions¹. Although the operator claimed to have a special class business process outsourcing (BPO) permit, Cruz clarified that it lacked proper accreditation from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)¹.

Authorities found text blasters and an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catcher, devices capable of intercepting mobile phone traffic and tracking users. Cruz said they were investigating if the hub was also involved in scamming¹. The POGO was located in the same building complex where the embassies of South Africa, Canada, and Australia are located, along with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office¹.

RCBC Plaza said in a statement on Thursday, March 20, that its management conducted due diligence on Flying Future's application, noting that the company identified itself as an "IT support company." RCBC also said its tenant Flying Future had the necessary business permit from the Makati City government¹. RCBC Plaza General Manager Marjorie Abot noted that Flying Future was not among the POGO companies whose licenses were revoked and ordered shut by Pagcor on March 31, 2024, and said there was no reason for RCBC Plaza to question the nature of the tenant's business¹.

In 2024, Marcos announced the complete ban of POGOs, which have been plagued with scandals related to money laundering, immigration bribery, illegal recruitment, and human trafficking¹. Since the ban, Cruz said operators have been blending into "plain sight," disguising their operations to avoid detection, and that a POGO in the same building as crucial business establishments poses a "security risk"¹. Early this March, PAOCC raided a POGO at PBCom Tower in Makati, but its workers managed to flee before the raid¹.

What it means for players

The raid concerns an unlicensed offshore operator serving customers in several countries, not a licensed domestic gambling venue. The Philippines' ban on offshore gaming (POGOs) remains in force, and this case shows enforcement continuing inside the Makati business district rather than only at former licensed sites. The devices seized, including an IMSI catcher capable of intercepting mobile traffic, indicate activity beyond gambling, and Cruz said investigators are looking at possible scamming¹. For anyone using online gambling services, the case fits the pattern described in gambling scams and safety in Asia, where unlicensed operators and scam operations overlap. The nationality mix of those apprehended, including Filipinos and other Asian nationals, shows that workers as well as operators can be caught up in these raids. General rules on what is legal in the region are set out in gambling laws in Asia, and the Philippine market is covered in can I gamble in the Philippines. Wider enforcement trends are tracked in crackdowns on offshore online gambling hubs in Asia.

What happens next

Authorities said they were investigating whether the hub was also involved in scamming¹. RCBC Plaza and its management said they will fully cooperate with government agencies and authorities in the investigation¹. No charges, case filings or further operations have been reported.