NBI, BI work on swift release of clearances to speed up deportation of POGO workers

Foreign Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers facing deportation could now be issued with clearances within one day, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Monday. 

According to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, this developed as the BI reiterated its commitment for the expeditious deportation of foreign employees involved in illegal POGO operations.

“The longer they stay in the country waiting for schedules, the longer the government shoulders the cost of their detention,” said Viado in a news release.

“We take whatever is available because our priority is to send them out of the country at the soonest possible time,” he said.

There are three documentary requirements for deportation:  a valid passport or travel document, a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance to confirm no pending accountability, and an outbound ticket. To accelerate the deportation process, the Immigration Bureau coordinated with the NBI to allow the issuance of clearances within a single day.

“We all want the same thing—for them to leave our country as quickly as possible…If we can do it fast, we will find ways to do it even faster,”  said Viado.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) director and spokesperson Winston Casio earlier said that based on latest data from government agencies, there are still some 10,650 POGO-related foreigners who are still in the Philippines. Some 2,000 workers have been deported after being arrested for illegal activities.

This comes months after the deadline for the banning of POGO operations lapsed in December last year in line with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s directive during his July 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA), prohibiting online gambling in the country. 

In November 2024, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 74, which states that the ban on POGOs and internet gaming licenses shall encompass illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations.

An interagency was formed—composed of BI, the Department of Justice, DOLE, and others—to oversee the end of POGO operations and assist affected workers. — Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News