The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Committee has called on the government regulatory body—the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)—to assist in repatriating the foreign employees of the now-defunct Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
According to the spokesperson of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Committee, Gasao, during the ban on the offshore gaming industry, there were still 38 offshore gaming companies legally operating in the country.
Foreign workers of Philippine offshore gaming companies can downgrade their 9G work visas to tourist visas before October 15. They must leave the Philippines by the end of this year.
In a radio interview, Gasao stated, "We call on other agencies, especially the regulatory body Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, to let these offshore gaming company's foreign workers leave the country now. If they do not leave now, many of them will find ways to go underground and become illegal workers."
He added, "That's where the problem lies; they will try to stay in the country longer. In terms of gambling, there are too many regulatory loopholes, so we seek help from the relevant agencies so that we can completely eradicate this offshore gaming industry according to the president's instructions."
Last week, the Bureau of Immigration stated that over 12,000 foreign employees of the now-defunct Philippine offshore gaming companies had applied to downgrade their work visas.
Nevertheless, many more foreign employees have not yet processed their paperwork. Gasao mentioned that there might still be over 100 illegal offshore gaming centers operating underground nationwide.
The National Bureau of Investigation also indicated that some Philippine offshore gaming companies are trying to evade the ban by fragmenting and dispersing their operations into residential areas to avoid detection.
Gasao emphasized, "These foreign employees of offshore gaming companies should now leave the country, as they no longer hold work visas. Many of them are very stubborn, as hard-headed as marble."
