An estimated 9,000 to 10,000 Chinese nationals who previously worked in now-closed Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hubs remain in the country, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) revealed on Monday.
PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz told the House Quad Committee that enforcement operations against these illegal foreign workers had been temporarily suspended due to overcrowding in detention facilities.
“Due to overcrowding, we have temporarily suspended enforcement actions against more than 9,000 illegal foreign workers. Some detainees cannot be deported because their passports are missing,” Cruz explained.
House Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Ace Barbers called on the concerned agencies to act decisively.
“According to Usec. Cruz, these foreigners are now just loitering. You, the concerned agencies, should be proactive. Don’t sleep on the job. This is a matter of national security—these individuals could be criminals or spies. For all you know, one of them could be living next door,” Barbers said.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Central Luzon Director Paolo Magtoto reported that the employment permits of around 15,000 workers from 16 POGO firms had already been revoked, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive last year to ban POGOs.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI), represented by Vicente Uncad, confirmed that the Chinese workers’ employment visas were downgraded to tourist visas after DOLE’s cancellation of their permits.
Tourist visas are only valid for six months, which, by now, should have expired for many of the former workers. Although foreigners may apply monthly for visa extensions for up to two years, the BI lacks a centralized database to monitor their activities.
This absence of a unified tracking system hampers government agencies from verifying whether these foreign nationals have extended their stay or engaged in unauthorized activities.
Rep. Barbers lamented the lack of action on the committee’s earlier request to build a centralized monitoring system.
Meanwhile, Quad Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Romeo Acop criticized the multiple agencies authorized to issue visas, complicating regulation and oversight.
“Several agencies are allowed by law to issue visas, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, special economic zones, the Philippine Retirement Authority, and even the Department of Trade and Industry,” Acop noted.
In a related development, the Senate on Monday passed the Anti-POGO Act of 2025 (Senate Bill 2868) on third and final reading with 23 affirmative votes and no objections. Authored by Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, Bong Go, Raffy Tulfo, Pia Cayetano, Grace Poe, and Risa Hontiveros, the bill declares all offshore gaming operations in the Philippines unlawful.
Violators face six to 12 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₱300,000. If the violator is a government official, the maximum penalty will apply.
Authorities had previously uncovered serious crimes such as human trafficking, physical abuse, and sexual abuse in POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga—leading to the arrest of former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, for alleged involvement in illegal POGO activities.