PAOCC: Arrested POGO workers leave behind babies

Fifteen babies who are children of arrested foreign POGO workersare now in the care of the Presidential Anti-Organize Crime Commission. 

According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras," PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz said the agency didn't expect cases of children left behind by the former POGO workers.

“Hindi ordinaryong problema ‘to kasi hindi namin inexpect na may ganito eh. Alam lang namin manghuhuli lang kami ng POGO workers eh. Yung pala may nga iniwan ding problema,” Cruz said.

(This is not an ordinary problem since we did not expect this. What we know is that we will arrest POGO workers. Little did we know that they left a problem.)

POGO hubs were raided and their foreign workers arrested after a crackdown on alleged illegal activities. 

Among the babies affected have Filipino mothers who are seeking help from the government.

“Hindi ko po akam kung ano pong yung magiging mangyayari talaga samin ng anak ko dahil wala po akong trabaho. Sa kanya lang kami umaasa,” said Maya, who has a one-year-old baby with her Chinese partner.

(I have no clue what will happen to me and my baby since I have no job. We only rely on him.)

“Ica,” a mother to a one-year-old baby with a Chinese father, also shared the same concern.

Maya and Ica know that their partners will be deported at any time and that their children may never see their fathers again.

“Yung may anak po baka sakaling i-consider po na palayain nalang asawa namin. Di ko po alam anong mangyayari sa kanya dun pagdating ng China,” Ica said.

(Maybe the government can consider freeing our partners, who have children. I don’t know what will happen to him when he goes back to China.)

“Sana bigyan po kami ng chance lalo na po yung may mga anak,” Maya said.

(I hope the government will give us a chance, especially those who have children.)

The PAOCC is also taking care of a two-year-old child of a Vietnamese mother and a Chinese father.

“Lumalabas na yung bata stateless. Maghihintay pa siya ng siguro 18 years old para maka pamili siyaa anong nationality niya,” Cruz said.

(The child is stateless. I think he will wait until he is 18 years old before choosing his nationality.)

Cruz also said the abandoned children are seeking support from PAOCC.

“Nakakakungkot ang hinihingi samin tulungan sila kasi napa deport na mga tatay nito, wala silang pang gastos, wala silang pang gatas. Minsan, pag nagkakasakit yung mga bata, sa aming lumalapit para ipadala sa hospital,” Cruz said.

(It’s saddening that they’re asking for support because since the fathers of the children were deported, they have no money to buy milk and other needs. There are times that they ask for money for medical expenses.)

The PAOCC is supporting 15 babies of POGO workers.

Cruz said the agency is coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to help the abandoned children. —Celine Serquiña/NB, GMA Integrated News