The country is ready to deport some 280 illegal employees of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and are set to catch more of them, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday.
In an interview with radio dzBB, Remulla confirmed what he told Congress earlier this week that he would speak with China’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, about the protocols for deporting the Chinese nationals.
“We’re ready to deport, I think, 280 people by now. We have them in custody. We are scheduled to catch more people,” Remulla said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Justice secretary said there were 216 previously licensed POGO companies that have stopped paying their dues and estimated that about 40,000 of their employees may be staying in the Philippines illegally.
“We know where they all are, we know where the offices are, soa it’s a matter of time before we resolve everything here,” Remulla said.
Justice Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano said Remulla would meet with Chinese embassy officials Thursday to discuss the repatriation of about 40,000 Chinese nationals who lost their jobs with the closure of some 175 POGOs.
Clavano said Remulla will talk about “the canceled POGO companies as listed by PAGCOR (the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation).”
“There must be a coordinated effort between the two countries to bring them back to China given that they have no more basis to stay here in the Philippines,” Clavano also said.
On Tuesday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he would hold a public hearing Thursday to tackle the various issues involving POGO operations in the country, including any economic benefits they might bring.
Gatchalian said the government allowed POGOs in the country precisely for the purpose of generating additional revenue.
“If we are not able to realize this, then we must have a careful review of POGO operations to determine whether they should remain in the country,” he said.
Some lawmakers have joined calls to shut down POGOs due to the series of kidnappings, bribery and rise of criminality, especially involving Chinese and Filipino-Chinese.
Senator Nancy Binay said she has no qualms supporting the move to ban POGOs.
“Is it worth it?” asked Binay, citing the low earning from POGOs amid the increasing number of crimes involving them. She also said they are ready to pass a law for the total ban of POGOs.
A ranking House leader on Wednesday warned against the ill effects of POGOs in the country, saying that offshore gaming undermines the government’s battle against illegal drugs, graft and corruption, money-laundering, and other gambling-related crimes.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, reiterated his longstanding opposition to POGO operations in the Philippines, arguing that they pose social and security concerns for the country. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
Amid the recent spate of kidnapping and abduction cases in the country, Barbers pointed out that as early as November 2019, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group’s data showing around 31 kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) cases involving Chinese nationals from 2017 to 2019.
He noted that most of the cases transpired in the vicinity of the so-called “Entertainment City” where casinos and on-line gaming are located.
Aside from abduction cases, crimes such as murder, prostitution, torture, extortion, usurious loan-shark, suicide, and illegal drug trafficking involving Chinese nationals transpired during that period, he added.
Barbers said there had been indications in the past that Chinese drug syndicates were using online gambling facilities as “fronts” for their illegal trade, based on police reports.
He cited a case in January 2017 in which lawmen raided a condominium unit along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City and arrested 25 Chinese nationals and seized two kilos of shabu.
“Money laundering by suspected Chinese drug syndicates is allegedly being conducted through gambling at the local casinos or actual ‘brick and mortar’ gambling; and through the online or internet gambling,” he said.
He also warned that online gambling has the potential capacity to “revolutionize’ or re-invent the money laundering processes that undoubtedly promotes illegal drug trade and other organized crime activities.
The PAGCOR has justified the presence of POGOs by saying and projecting that they can generate more than P37 billion annually to finance local infrastructure and socio-civic development projects.
Barbers, however, cited latest reports stating that the government, through the Bureau of Internal Revenue, was only able to collect P3 billion from POGO operations this year.
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, meanwhile, called on Congress to craft a law banning POGOs amid the recent spate of kidnappings and abductions in the country.
Garin said the reported abduction cases have “immensely affected” the image of the Philippines and have been driving away investors.
“Now that we are opening up our economy and kidnapping and human trafficking headlining our daily news, it is driving away investors considering that it’s creating a misinformation that the Philippines is not safe,” Garin said.
Garin made the statement after the police rescued 42 Chinese nationals who were detained within a POGO establishment in an operation in Angeles City, Pampanga.
She said while POGOs in the country have been regarded as the “knight in shining armor” by the PAGCOR for providing additional revenues for the government, the crime happening outweighs the benefits to the country.
‘It has become a door to several crimes. The Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators hubs have become havens for undesirable aliens, drug and human trafficking, prostitution and other crime syndicates for money laundering and illicit operations,” Garin said.
She also supported Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s earlier statement to discontinue POGOs due to their “reputational risk.”
“China and Cambodia have banned gambling because of the ill-effects it had brought and the Philippines should learn from their experience. We should not disregard the negative and deleterious effects that have risen with the continued operation of POGO in our country,” Garin said.
She noted that as of 2019, an estimated 138,000 Chinese nationals are reportedly working in Manila-based POGOs with 83,760 of them being holders of special work permits which allowed them to stay in the country for as long as six months.
However, she said only 17 percent of those employed in POGOs are Filipino nationals. The numbers could be higher though since there are estimated to be at least 200 POGOs operating without a permit.