Manila, Aug. 10 -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday said it has approved the rule on the civil forfeiture of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO)-related assets pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025.

The rule, which takes effect 15 days after its publication on Aug. 9, provides that civil forfeiture proceedings are independent of any criminal prosecution for violations of the RA 12312 and may proceed regardless of the status of any related criminal case.

Civil forfeiture is a court proceeding that allows the government to take ownership of property connected to unlawful activity. Under Section 15 of the Anti-POGO Act, all buildings, structures, facilities, materials, gaming equipment, paraphernalia and...