Philippines' Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla recently announced that the gambling center within the 36-hectare area of Island Cove in Cavite will be closed by December 15, 2024. This area is one of the main hubs for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
Remulla noted that the licenses for these POGOs will expire on December 31, but he has ordered the operators to cease all activities beforehand, otherwise he will personally go to the site to enforce the closure. He stated that this is one of the important measures by the Ministry of Interior to clean up illegal or non-compliant operations.
In response to questions about why he did not close the gambling centers during his tenure as governor of Cavite, Remulla explained that the governor does not have the authority to interfere with projects legally licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). He emphasized, "All casinos and gambling facilities must follow legal procedures, and the governor does not have unilateral decision-making power."
Furthermore, Remulla also clarified rumors about his family's relationship with POGO operations. He explicitly stated that the Remulla family was completely unaware when the Island Cove land was repurposed as a gambling center, and he firmly denied any involvement with these operations.
The POGO center located in Cavite's Island Cove, covering 36 hectares, will close one month ahead of the deadline set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for December 31.
A photo obtained by Politiko shows a building within Island Cove with a waterproof cloth outside stating "ISLAND COVE will officially close on November 30, 2024."
Island Cove is listed by the President's Anti-Organized Crime Committee as the country's largest POGO center, owned by businessman Kim Wong.
Last October, Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla vowed to close Island Cove by December 15.
Marcos ordered the closure of all POGOs in the country by the end of 2024 in his third State of the Nation Address.
Remulla's family once owned Island Cove, and he denied allegations of involvement in POGO. He offered a reward of 10 million pesos to anyone who could prove his family had gambling interests in this former leisure center.
