Philippine Department of Justice: May initiate "manhunt procedures" to target foreign gambling employees who have not lowered their visas.

On October 21, the Philippine Justice Minister Remulla publicly stated that the government is considering taking compulsory measures, including the "fugitive pursuit" mechanism, against foreign gaming employees who did not complete the visa downgrade procedures before October 15.

In an interview with the media, Remulla pointed out that the number of people who have downgraded their visas is far below expectations, "Many people have not cooperated voluntarily, which indicates that some foreign nationals in the Philippines have no intention of leaving the country," posing a regulatory vacuum for law enforcement units.

"Failure to change visas is regarded as automatic visa downgrade"

For foreign employees who have not processed a new visa or completed legal transformation procedures, Remulla stated that these individuals would be considered as having automatically invalidated visas and, in principle, no longer possess any legal status to work in the Philippines.

However, he also added that some companies could apply for a short-term retention window to handle the "operational wrap-up work" during the settlement phase.

"Such platforms need time to return user wallet funds properly, to avoid disputes or financial public opinion due to frozen funds."

Mass deportation as a "controllable variable"

Remulla pointed out that although a large number of employees are about to face departure, the issue "still remains within a controllable range," provided that there is proper coordination among various departments. He stated, "If handled improperly, it could indeed pose certain humanitarian risks, but we have already preset various response scenarios from our full shutdown initiation until the end of December 31."