A network of digital advocates is urging the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to file appropriate charges against social media influencers endorsing illegal gambling sites, amid the growing number of victims falling prey to their operations.
Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that influencers endorsing illegal online gambling platforms, may be considered accomplices and not just mere enablers of illegal online gambling operations
“For years, we’ve warned influencers not to take part in promoting these illegal gambling sites. But instead of stopping, many became more aggressive,” Gustilo said. “The money used to pay these influencers often comes from the pockets of unsuspecting players — many of whom are now deeply in debt or ruined financially. Influencers are no longer just enablers — they are accomplices.”
Gustilo also questioned if the influencers have paid the necessary tax from the income that they received for endorsing the illegal online gambling apps.
“Did the influencers and their agencies and management declared their income from these endorsements? The Bureau of Internal Revenue needs to look at it. If businesses are required to comply to the rules and regulations applicable to them and are expected to exercise due diligence with their practices, social media influencers should also be held to this standards and should not be treated like sacred cows.”
Gustilo also expressed gratitude to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) under Assistant Secretary Renato Paraiso for taking steps against illegal online gambling and its promoters. He also thanked the concerned citizens who took part in public pressure efforts alongside Digital Pinoy to call out violators.
“We are grateful to the CICC. Under Asec. Paraiso’s leadership, our complaints are being handled well. We also thank the public who are tirelessly helping us compile the cases that we are bringing forward to CICC.”
Digital Pinoys is now urging lawmakers to make regulation of online gambling and influencer accountability a priority in the legislative agenda. The group pushes for policies that will ensure proper vetting of advertisers and stricter guidelines for social media endorsements — especially in sectors where public harm is well-documented.
“The longer we wait, the more Filipinos fall victim. It’s a silent epidemic slowly draining families of their savings and dignity. The government must act now — before more lives are destroyed,” Gustilo concluded.###
Photos courtesy of Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center
