Seven months since Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) were banned, authorities continue to crack down on illegal POGO hubs across the country. On June 17, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Chinese Embassy deported 100 Chinese nationals involved in POGO-related scams.
According to PAOCC spokesperson Marvin de la Paz, the deportees were apprehended during earlier joint law enforcement operations targeting POGO hubs in Parañaque City, Pasay City, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu and Silang, Cavite.
“This latest deportation is part of the government’s intensified campaign to remove foreign nationals engaged in illicit online gaming and scamming operations,” de la Paz told reporters in a text message.
The operations involving the deported Chinese nationals took place in August 2024 and January to February this year.
Asked about the deportation process, de la Paz tells Rolling Stone Philippines that foreign nationals must undergo an inquest by the BI for violating immigration laws, followed by the issuance of a deportation order, clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation, and an implementation order from the BI.
De la Paz added that two other Chinese nationals from the August 2024 operation in Lapu-Lapu were also slated for deportation on Tuesday, but the BI has not yet provided their implementation order.
In November 2024, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued an executive order banning POGOs and cancelling all POGO licenses issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in December 2024 that the Department of Interior and Local Government expects “guerilla” POGO operations to follow the ban, and that authorities planned to “make it very difficult for them until they say that it is no longer worth operating in the Philippines” and make the country “POGO-free” by this year.
On Tuesday, PAOCC Undersecretary Gilberto Cruz said, “Na-establish na natin talagang kahit saan sa Pilipinas may mga nag-ooperate pa rin ng POGO.”
According to ABS-CBN News, Cruz also said that the Chinese authorities were appreciative of the Philippine government’s efforts against illegal offshore gaming operations, as Chinese citizens have also been targeted by related scams. As of Tuesday, around 4,000 POGO workers have reportedly been deported.
