PAOCC reports 9,000 Chinese POGO workers remain in PH after ban

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) reported on Monday that around 9,000 former Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) workers from China remain in the Philippines months after POGOs were banned.

Due to overcrowding at PAOCC's detention facility in Pasay City and missing passports, enforcement actions against these illegal foreign workers have been temporarily suspended; some detainees face health issues like tuberculosis and HIV, complicating deportation efforts.

PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz stated that a centralized database for monitoring illegal operations and improving coordination with foreign embassies is needed to enhance the deportation process and address evolving POGO setups within condominiums and gated subdivisions.

Lawmakers urged national government agencies to arrest undocumented Chinese POGO workers, emphasizing national security concerns and proposing additional detention centers like Fort Magsaysay.

Representative Benny Abante previously suggested an 'all-government approach' involving PAOCC, NBI, and BI to arrest undocumented aliens, while the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a memorandum directing local government units to report suspicious activities.