Less than a month before the Philippine government enforces a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), 187 workers were deported back to China on Thursday for violating immigration laws.
The deportees came from several raided POGO hubs:
- 122 workers from 3D Analyzer in Pasay,
- 57 workers from Tourist Garden Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu,
- 11 workers from Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban, Tarlac, and SmartWeb Technology in Pasay and Clark, Pampanga.
“Some of them had no documents when we apprehended them, which is a clear violation of their stay conditions,” said PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz.
Investigation in China
Upon their arrival in China, the deportees will undergo investigations to determine their involvement in online scams.
“In China, they are treated not as victims but as criminals. It’s up to them to prove whether they participated in scamming activities or were part of POGO syndicates,” Cruz explained.
Monitoring and Operations
PAOCC warned remaining POGO workers in the Philippines to leave voluntarily before the December 31 deadline. Starting January, the government will ramp up its operations against illegal POGOs.
Law enforcement agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Immigration, are forming a task force to track and apprehend remaining operators.
Voluntary Exit Statistics
In October, the Bureau of Immigration reported that 21,757 foreign POGO workers downgraded their 9G visas to tourist visas. Of these, 10,821 have already exited the country.
POGO Ban and Executive Order
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced the ban on POGOs in his State of the Nation Address last July. In November, he signed Executive Order 74, officially prohibiting POGOs, internet gaming licenses, and other offshore gaming operations in the Philippines.
Impact on Families
Filipina partners of deportees bid farewell to their loved ones outside the PAOCC Detention Facility in Pasay. Maria (not her real name), a 22-year-old newlywed, said her husband, arrested in Lapu-Lapu City, was unfairly targeted.
“We were on our honeymoon when the raid happened. My husband wasn’t working for POGO, but he got caught up in this,” she said. Maria plans to follow her husband to China.
Welfare of Children
PAOCC is coordinating with the Chinese Embassy and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to address the welfare of 15 babies born to foreign POGO workers deported from the country.
PAOCC is also assisting families with food, diapers, and rental expenses while determining the legal status of the children, including questions about their birth certificates and the use of their fathers’ surnames.