PAOCC suspends crackdown on undocumented POGO workers over detention facility concerns

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has suspended enforcement actions against an estimated over 9,000 undocumented foreign workers, many of whom were employed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), due to overcrowding at its detention facility.

PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz noted that many detainees cannot be deported because they lack passports, which were removed from many POGO workers, contributing to their undocumented status.

Cruz also stated that the crackdown has strained government resources, with the PAOCC spending P2 million monthly on food and healthcare for detainees.

House Quad Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged government agencies to proactively track down the 9,000 to 10,000 unaccounted POGO workers, as they are now "pakalat-kalat (all over)" and pose national security risks.

Barbers emphasized the need to monitor these individuals to prevent them from engaging in criminal activities or espionage.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) had previously revoked the employment permits of about 15,000 POGO workers following President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s order to ban POGOs.