Arvin Cesar Santos, the legal advisor of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the Philippines, recently stated that the deportation process has been hindered due to the lack of passports among most of the arrested foreign workers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO). He pointed out that the requirement for relevant documents has become a major obstacle in the deportation efforts, making it difficult to advance law enforcement actions swiftly.
In November last year, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed an executive order announcing a complete ban on POGO operations, citing abuse of power, illegal operations, and severe threats to national security as reasons.
The POGO industry saw massive growth during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, with as many as 300 operators at its peak. Despite frequent links to crimes such as human trafficking, fraud, torture, prostitution, and money laundering, Duterte defended the industry, arguing that POGO brought economic benefits to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the Senate to pass Bill No. 2868, the Anti-POGO Act, to completely eradicate the presence of POGO in the Philippines. She warned on social media: "Even though the government has banned POGO, we must remain vigilant as there are still criminals attempting to operate illegally."
Despite the government's stringent measures to combat POGO, law enforcement agencies continue to struggle with complex legal procedures and deportation barriers, ensuring that illegal foreign workers leave the country as soon as possible.
