In recent months, the Philippine government has been intensifying its regulation of offshore gaming operators (POGO). By the deadline of December 31, 2024, immigration officials have stated that 22,609 former POGO foreign employees have left, and over 11,000 foreigners are prepared to be deported.
It was originally estimated that there would be seven to eight thousand people who had not left the country, but the actual data turned out to be more, not less!
To address the more than 10,000 illegally staying foreigners, the Philippine government has increased its law enforcement efforts and is expected to launch a series of deportation actions in 2025.
Areas that were once POGO operation centers are now desolate, some have been repurposed for government public utilities, such as "No Hunger Kitchens."
Many POGO employees who were forced out of work did not leave the country as expected, probably thinking they could continue working as farmers in the Philippines. However, due to various reasons, the reality is the opposite, many have chosen the path of crime due to living difficulties, turning to robbery and even engaging in cross-border violent crimes!
In short, the pressure to survive has become the catalyst for their turn to crime!
The Employment Dilemma and Crime Shift of POGO Employees
Some unemployed POGO employees chose to stay in the Philippines, while others moved to other countries, especially Thailand and the Golden Triangle area. However, those working in Thailand face company closures and layoffs. Recently, there have been several reports of those who moved to Thailand and the Golden Triangle only to find themselves unemployed soon after.
Having lost a stable source of income, what did these individuals choose to do? Some set up their own small-scale scam operations. For example, Thai police recently dismantled a transnational crime syndicate, which included many former POGO employees. They used gay dating apps to "fish" for victims, posing as friendly contacts, and after gaining trust, they would arrange meetings in secluded places like hotels. Once the victims fell into the trap, they faced violent threats, even sexual assault, followed by robbery or kidnapping for ransom.
Interestingly, the scammers in Thailand have adapted well to local conditions, coming up with the trap of using gay dating apps.
The situation for scammers who moved to other Southeast Asian countries isn't much better. Recently, there has been increasing cooperation in Southeast Asia against cyber fraud, with previous mango orchard areas being a prime example. (Although only a few were prosecuted, the information of others was definitely somewhat available.)
Every now and then, there are leaks of information from certain areas, which also makes the scammers shudder.
The situation in the Philippines isn't much better. After some bosses left, many employees who couldn't leave the country started their own operations. For instance, in October, a Philippine congressman revealed that the Philippine police raided a place in Pasay, where they discovered a POGO operation site.
It's interesting to note that the office of 3D Analyzer Information Technologies Inc., located just a few meters from the Senate building, employed nearly 300 staff, with nearly a third being Filipinos.
Besides sticking to their old jobs, some have turned to robbery! On December 30, a Chinese businessman was robbed in his home. According to him, he was blindfolded, handcuffed, and robbed by five men, who also pointed a gun at his head.
Upon investigation, the truth came to light.
It turned out that two of the five robbers were unemployed due to the POGO ban, and the victim, out of kindness to his fellow countrymen, had taken them in. Ungratefully, after figuring out the victim's home situation, they contacted three others to rob the place and loot their property.
In the incident, the victim lost 20 various iPhones, one Android phone, one HP laptop, a gold necklace and bracelet, an iWatch SE2, a gold watch, and 46,000 Philippine pesos in cash, a Lexus car along with all its paperwork and documents, totaling approximately 5.886 million pesos.
This is a real-life version of "The Farmer and the Snake"!
Fortunately, the perpetrators did not commit murder, and the Chinese man quickly reported the incident to the police with his Filipino girlfriend after escaping.
So, why are these POGO employees unwilling to leave?
Despite the Philippine government's intensified crackdown on POGO and its demand that all foreign POGO employees leave by a specified date, many still choose to stay in the Philippines.
Many believe that after losing their jobs in the Philippines, life is already hard, and leaving might mean an even more uncertain future. Those who went to Thailand also faced a lot of unemployment.
Moreover, what if they are sent off with silver handcuffs upon leaving?
They choose to collude with local criminals, even setting up their own small-scale scam companies to engage in cyber fraud and other criminal activities, partly because they were previously involved in such dealings. If someone has made quick money before, it's hard for them to return to earning money honestly.
Some of them, lacking legal identification and visa documents, find it difficult to leave even if they want to, so they simply stay put.
The Philippine government's stance is very firm!
Although the blanket POGO ban has had a significant impact on the Philippines, the government's stance on the POGO ban seems very firm. Just entering the new year, the Philippine government has indicated that it will intensify efforts to confiscate illegal POGO assets and plans to conduct more thorough tracking and arrest operations against POGO employees.
Attorney General Menardo I. Guevarra also pointed out that the government has begun to clear the assets of POGO operators, focusing on those who have obtained property and identity documents through illegal means.
Conclusion
Although the POGO ban in the Philippines has achieved its regulatory purpose to some extent, the accompanying negative impacts and criminal phenomena cannot be ignored.
For those POGO Filipinos who lost their jobs, finding a job is extremely difficult, and it's even more so for the scammers. Many of the more than 10,000 scammers have turned to the "underground economy," but indeed, a significant portion has turned to robbing acquaintances and friends.
Ensuring that these dangerous individuals no longer continue to commit crimes, rectifying industry chaos, better regulating industry policies, helping Filipino employees find jobs, and facilitating reunions of transnational Chinese-Filipino families will be pressing issues for the Philippine government to address in 2025.
