The 16 Chinese nationals arrested in an illegal POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations) hub in Barangay Agus, and charged for seven counts of qualified trafficking in persons have been transferred to the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Male and Female Dormitory.

The transfer was facilitated after their detention of over two months at the Office of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in Pasay City, Metro Manila. 

The Chinese nationals were arrested in a raid of an illegal POGO operations at the compound of Tourist Garden Hotel in Barangay Agus.

The assistant warden of the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Male Dormitory and the warden of the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Female Dormitory confirmed that the 16 foreigners arrived at the said facility on November 11, 2024.

The foreigners had to go through quarantine first before proceeding to their respective cells.

According to Jail Senior Inspector Nero Manzanares, assistant warden of the Lapu-Lapu City Jail, the new PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) underwent a five-day quarantine period according to jail policy on health protocols and personal safety.

As of this writing, though, the quarantine already reached 10 days.

J/SInsp. Manzanares pointed out that the PDLs have to wait for the assessment from the nurse before they could proceed to the regular facility.

The assistant warden also disclosed that the foreigners requested bunk beds, foam, and pillows as the quarantine facility has not been equipped with the said items compared to the regular facility that has bunk beds.

Manzanares added that they have ensured the thickness of the foam used by the Chinese nationals does not exceed four inches.

Further, he vowed that the foreigners will not receive special treatment while in their custody.

However, members of the media were not allowed to take photographs or videos of the current situation of the Chinese nationals.

On the other hand, three female foreigners accused of involvement in the said POGO hub were moved to the regular dormitory as well after the mandatory five-day quarantine period.

One of them is a Chinese national, one from Myanmar, while the other is from Indonesia.

Unlike the male PDLs, the female PDLs have not requested bed bunks, foam, and pillows as the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Female Dormitory is equipped already with the said items.

Furthermore, it was learned that the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Female Dorm has a holding capacity of 20 to 25 PDLs, but there are 96 PDLS as of posting time.

Meanwhile, the Lapu-Lapu City Jail Male Dorm has a total of 1,381 PDLs currently, described to have exceeded by 300 percent its regular capacity at 460.