PAGCOR’s help sought in getting foreign POGO workers to go home

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Sunday called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to help in getting the foreign workers of discontinued Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to return to their countries. 

According to PAOCC spokesperson Winston John Casio, there are still 38 POGOs that are legally operating in the country amid the POGO ban. 

Foreign workers from POGOs were given until October 15 to downgrade their 9G visas to tourist visas. They have until the end of the year to leave the Philippines.

“Kami ay nananawagan, sa pakikipagtulungan ng ibang mga ahensya, lalo na sa regulatory authority ng PAGCOR, dapat kalampagin nila itong mga ito na umalis na ngayon. Bakit po? Kapag hindi umalis ang mga iyan ngayon, ang marami sa mga ‘yan ay naghahanap ng paraan paano makapag-underground at maging mga iligal,” Casio said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. 

(We are calling on other agencies, especially the regulatory authority of PAGCOR, to get these POGO workers to leave now. Why? If they don't leave now, many of them will find a way to go underground and become illegal workers.) 

“So ‘yun ang problema, habang pinatatagal po natin ang mga iyan, ay nakakahanap ng paraan ang mga ‘yan para manatili pa rin sa bansa natin. There are so many regulatory loopholes as far is gambling is concerned kaya nagmamakaawa ho kami para masunod natin ‘yung direktiba ng Pangulo na mapaalis na ito nang tuluyan,” he added. 

(That's the problem—-while we are allowing them to stay longer, they will find a way to stay longer in our country. There are so many regulatory loopholes as far as gambling is concerned, so we are asking them for help so that we can follow the President's directive to entirely get rid of the POGOs.) 

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., in his third State of the Nation Address in July, banned all POGOs after several such businesses were implicated in crimes, including human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and money scams.

Last week, the Bureau of Immigration said that more than 12,000 foreign workers of discontinued POGOs have applied for the downgrade of their working visas. 

Despite this, Casio said there could be more than 100 illegal POGO hubs still operating underground all over the country. 

The National Bureau of Investigation also said that some POGOs are trying to get around the ban by breaking up into smaller groups and setting up operations in residential areas to avoid detection.

Casio stressed that these foreign POGO workers should leave the country now as they no longer have working visas. 

“Maraming matitigas ang ulo, kasing titigas ng marmol ang ulo ng mga ‘yan” he lamented.

(Many of them are stubborn and have heads as hard as marble.) — BM, GMA Integrated News