CRUZ’s EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP HAILED DURING VACC ANNIVERSARY
PAOCC operations under Cruz resulted to the closure of all POGOs in the country
THE Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) recognized the exceptional leadership of Undersecretary Gilbert DC Cruz in the field of law enforcement during the VACC’s 28th anniversary celebration last August 28 held inside Camp Crame.
Specifically, the VACC, headed by Chairman Atty. Manuel Obedoza, Jr., President Arsenio “Boy” Evangelista, Jr., and Secretary-General Manjinder “James” Kumar, cited Cruz’s qualities as head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
Cruz, bemedalled police major general, was appointed to the PAOCC by President Marcos Jr. in January 2023 after his retirement from the PNP and served as its Executive Director with the rank of Undersecretary until October 2025 when he was transferred as administrator of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS). He was succeeded at the PAOCC by former Philippine National Police (PNP) director general, Benjamin Acorda.
The VACC recognition noted Cruz’s role in leading and supporting operations that dismantle scam hubs and cybercrime-related centers and the arrest of their operators and the filing of appropriate criminal cases against them.
It was also the PAOCC’s uncompromising campaign against POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) under Cruz’s leadership where the social ills and other serious crimes from their operations were highlighted that convinced President Marcos and the members of Congress to end all POGO operations in the country at the end of 2025, some 3 months after Cruz’s transfer to the OTS.
The VACC also recognized Usec. Cruz for his collaborative leadership, which helps strengthen PAOCC’s role as a coordinating agency in the government’s whole-of-government response against organized and transnational crime.
China, which presently criticized PAOCC operations under Acorda thru its embassy, also praised the conduct of the commission’s operations during the term of Cruz as it expressed support on the crackdown against POGOs that mostly involved Chinese criminal figures.
The close coordination between the Chinese Embassy and the PAOCC under Cruz also resulted to both sides establishing in September 2025 a ‘Joint Crime Desk’ to improve coordination and avoid misunderstanding and miscommunication. A similar desk was also established to assist Korean nationals a month previously.
In the same month, the PAOCC also coordinated with the Chinese Embassy in the deportation back to China of 91 Chinese nationals earlier arrested for involvement in POGOs (Pinoy Exposé, September 21, 2025).
In a separate statement, the OTS said it congratulates its administrator for “this meaningful recognition.”
“The honor reflects his steadfast commitment to public service, integrity, national security, and the protection of the Filipino people,” the agency said, adding:
“The recognition also supports President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s call for government agencies to strengthen public safety and security and uphold their responsibility to serve the nation.”
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