Hasten POGO workers’ deportation, gov’t told
A PHILIPPINE Senator called on the Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to hasten the deportation of foreign nationals previously engaged with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
“Government agencies must work together to deport foreign POGO workers quickly so that law enforcement can focus on tracking down those who still defy the President’s ban,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said in a statement on Thursday.
Illegal financial activities and scam hubs have persisted despite moves to outlaw POGOs, according to a Senate Committee report. The report also said that public officials were also involved in facilitating crimes, from human trafficking to money laundering.
Last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed an executive order, banning POGOs due to their links to organized crime, such as human trafficking. This is in line with his policy directives during his third State of the Nation Address to shut down POGOs by the end of 2024.
Mr. Gatchalian added that both agencies should use fingerprint records as another option in identifying potential deportees, in the absence of a passport.
According to the investigation bureau, deportees can only get NBI clearances by submitting their passports.
“Most of them had their passports taken by their previous POGO employers, leading to a significant delay in their deportation,” Mr. Gatchalian said.
About 3,024 foreign POGO workers have been deported out of 30,144, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. — Adrian H. Halili
