Angeles City shuts down Chinese-operated POGO firm

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – The city government here closed down on Friday night, October 11, a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) firm which it found to be operating illegally. 

First-term Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr said in a statement sent to the media that the Golden Build Limited, Incorporated, which occupies 3 floors of JunHyun Building along Friendship Circumferential Road in Anunas village here, had no business permit and was not paying business taxes for its operation.

Assisted by policemen and officers and personnel of the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Division (BPLD), Lazatin personally led the closing down of the said POGO company.

The BLPD reported to the mayor that Golden Build “misdeclared its business operations.”

Lazatin said that the POGO firm was allegedly “being operated by Chinese investors who are skirting laws in mainland China.” He did not elaborate.

“I will not tolerate illegal POGO firms in the city,” the mayor said, adding that the Philippine government is reportedly losing around P22 billion yearly due to unpaid income taxes of thousands of illegal POGO workers.

POGOs are firms in the Philippines that offer online gambling services to players located in other countries. These firms employ tens of thousands of foreigners, mostly Chinese, in their operations.

 The city government also closed down 2 bars – the Lucky Lucy KTV and Mirage – along Friendship Highway after inspection conducted by the BPLD showed that some of their employees have no health cards. – Rappler.com