Manila, Philippines – Police operatives cracked open an underground offshore gaming operation tucked inside one of Metro Manila’s most exclusive neighborhoods this week, hauling in a dozen suspects who were running illegal gambling sites from a converted home in Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City.
According to a news report, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) stumbled on the operation while serving a warrant of arrest. CIDG director Major General Robert Alexander Morico II confirmed the bust on Saturday.
How the Raid Unfolded
Agents from the CIDG’s Southern Metro Manila District Field Unit and National Capital Region Field Unit went to the village early Monday to arrest a man known only as “Phil.” He was tagged as a Provincial Most Wanted Person and faces charges under:
- RA 8484 – the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998
- RA 10175 – the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012
The warrant was issued by a Quezon City court back in January 2024. But when officers entered the house, they found far more than a single fugitive. “Phil” turned out to be an employee of the very facility they walked into.
A Full-Blown Gambling Operation
Inside, agents caught 9 men and 3 women actively running online gambling platforms. The sites included vivamaxwin.com, primogaming8.ph, and several related domains.
A quick check with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) confirmed what police suspected: every one of those sites was operating illegally. Officers seized the equipment fueling the operation, including:
- Computers and laptops
- Mobile phones
- Flash drives and other peripherals
Barangay Ayala Alabang officials and village security personnel witnessed the seizure. The CIDG said it will now apply for a Warrant to Seize, Search, and Examine Computer Data so investigators can dig deeper into the recovered devices.
What This Means Under the POGO Ban
The raid comes after the country slammed the door shut on offshore gaming. RA 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, permanently outlawed all POGOs and their support networks. The law scrapped every operating license and set penalties for anyone caught hosting hidden setups.
Maj. Gen. Morico said the CIDG will keep hunting down operators who try to slip past the ban. He urged the public to report any suspected illegal gambling hubs to authorities so police can act on them quickly.