The POGO solution lies in the hands of Congress

NOW, the Senate has finally regained its bearings and is focusing on the Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) and how to remedy the situation that has become a breeding ground for criminal activities. After spending much of her committee's time and our taxes on the complex, shady life of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, which even included trying to focus on her love life and the identity of her mother, Sen. Risa Hontiveros emerged from a closed-door executive session articulating the need to address how POGOs have, in fact, become a potential national security threat. There are indications that POGOs may be involved in human trafficking, that even includes illegal detention and even torture. There's also ample evidence to indicate that POGOs are sites for internet scams and money laundering. The most dangerous is the very real possibility that POGOs are hosting sleepers and spies and are, in fact, actively involved in surveillance activities that undermine our national security.

However, Hontiveros' plea that the National Security Council make representation with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to formally declare that the POGOs are threats to our national security requires careful study.