Anya Marie Torres Cruz (Class 2024)
Senior Public Affairs Associate The Stratbase Group
"Back to work after two years of a la-di-da life as a student abroad. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have led my very first event at the leading think tank in the Philippines, Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
The topic of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) ban (or illegal online gambling) is one that I personally find both interesting and highly relevant, especially in the national security scheme of things in the Philippines.
The POGO dilemma in the country is just a small part of a broader transnational criminal network that spans across Southeast Asia, specifically in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar—all with links to the People’s Republic of China.
The presence of POGO busters, Senator Risa Hontiveros and Senator Win, made it even more fulfilling."
