The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said 187 Chinese nationals detained at the PAOCC detention facility are set to be deported to China on Thursday.
The deportees, some of whom have been linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), were escorted to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 for a noon flight bound for Shanghai, the PAOCC said
The move is part of law enforcers’ response to Executive Order No. 64, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which bans POGOs and sets an end to their operations starting Jan. 1, 2025.
Authorities meanwhile reported that the largest POGO hub in Cavite officially closed effective November 30.
Located in Binakayan, Kawit, the Island Cove POGO hub shut down 15 days before the December 15 deadline. According to an employee of the once-busy Island Cove, it is like a “ghost town,” with thousands of Chinese and Filipino workers gone and the number of guards on duty reduced.
An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 jobs are at stake due to the POGO compound’s closure, Kawit Mayor Angelo Aguinaldo said in an October 17 interview.
The closure of POGOs is based on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order 74, prohibiting POGOs, internet gaming, and other offshore gaming operations in the country.
