PAOCC to deport 1,000 POGO workers in weeks

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is aiming to deport 1,000 POGO workers within the next two to three weeks.

These workers, referred to as "POGO 1000," have been detained by PAOCC following raids on various establishments in Makati, Pasay, and Parañaque.

PAOCC, along with the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Justice Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, have agreed to expedite the deportation process.

The agency will prioritize the deportation of workers from Myanmar, followed by Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and China.

PAOCC is confident in shutting down POGO operations and is establishing legal bases for future raids to avoid lawsuits.

This mass deportation initiative follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s Executive Order 74, which banned POGOs and related offshore gaming operations.

Over 1,000 individuals involved in illegal POGO operations have been neutralized since January, and an estimated 9,000 POGO workers are believed to remain in the country.