By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is considering filing a case against local officials in Pasay City amid the continued operations of the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) within their jurisdiction.
In a Palace press briefing on Wednesday, PAOCC director and spokesperson Winston Casio said the southern parts of Metro Manila have been identified as the “locations of most of the illegal POGOs.”
Casio mentioned Pasay, Parañaque, and Makati cities as the areas where illegal POGOs continue to operate.
He said the PAOCC is doing a case buildup against some local government units (LGUs) in the country’s metropolis because of raided POGOs within their jurisdiction.
He said an investigation is underway to determine the possible culpability of LGU officials in Pasay City, following the series of POGO raids. He did not say if the same will be done for the LGUs of Parañaque and Makati.
“The very first raid that we conducted was SA Rivendell, that was in P. Zamora; the second was Zun Yuan Technology that is in corner FB Harrison and William Street, also in Pasay. We also conducted a raid in Kimberhi Technology, that’s also in Pasay, that’s the 3D Analyzer POGO. We also conducted lately a raid inside Heritage Hotel in Pasay,” Casio said.
“We’re taking a look at the possible culpability, criminal liability of LGU officials, primarily those in the issuances of the mayor’s permit, the BPLO (Business Permit and Licensing Office) certificates, the business permit so to speak. So, we have not yet reached a conclusion, together with the Department of Justice and the DILG on how to proceed, but the case build-up is already ongoing. It’s there,” he added.
Arrested foreign POGO workers
Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval noted that based on the latest trends, “smaller groups” are now working for illegal POGOs that operate in gated communities like condominiums and residences.
Around 11,254 foreign POGO workers are still in the Philippines, defying the government’s directive to leave the country following the industry’s total closure last year, Sandoval said.
Sandoval said the remaining foreign POGO workers in the country are mostly Vietnamese, Chinese, Indonesian, and Burmese.
“Ang nanatili dito sa Pilipinas ay 11,254. Lahat po nang hindi nag-comply dito sa requirement na ito ay isinama na po sa derogatory records po natin at humaharap po sa deportation charges (Around 11,254 of them are still in the Philippines. All those who have not complied with the requirement have been included in our derogatory records and are facing deportation charges). Upon deportation, subjects are included in our blacklist,” Sandoval said.
“We have to also clarify na hindi po kasama dito ‘yung mga nagtatrabaho na to begin with sa mga iligal na POGO (this does not include those who are already working in illegal POGOs to begin with). So, we’re only talking about those who used to work in legal POGOs that were required to cease operations,” she added.
Citing the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) list, Sandoval said there are around 33,863 foreign nationals employed under registered POGOs or internet gaming licensees (IGLs) but only 22,609 of them have already left the country.
She said the foreign POGO workers who are staying in the country are now tagged as “illegal aliens.”
Sandoval said around 518 foreign POGO workers have been arrested since the BI conducted four major operations against illegal POGOs this year.
“On Jan. 8, mayroon po tayong (we had) operations in Parañaque which yielded to the arrest of 450 foreign nationals; Jan. 15 in Silang, Cavite, 29 foreign nationals; Jan. 17 in Parañaque, 33 foreign nationals; and Feb. 17 in Pasay City, anim po na (six) foreign nationals,” she said.
Casio joined the press briefing after being reinstated as PAOCC spokesperson. He was relieved from post in November 2024 following his supposed mistreatment of a Filipino during a raid on POGO hub in Bagac, Bataan.
He said everything is now “back to normal” after he issued a public apology to the aggrieved party, adding that he also underwent anger management and was under medication to “control [his] temper.” (PNA)
