The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has shut down an illegal hospital in Pasay City that was supposed to help victims of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) crimes, the agency said on Wednesday.

In a televised public briefing, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said authorities conducted a raid targeting a facility on Macapagal Avenue called Hobbies of Asia last Monday.

Authorities received reports about a Vietnamese doctor practicing in the said hospital without a license.

Upon investigation, PAOCC discovered that the entire hospital lacked proper permits from the Department of Health (DOH).

"We had to investigate this because we were concerned that POGO workers who are sick, or those who are shot when kidnapped or tortured in POGOs, do not go to legitimate hospitals but rather to hospitals like this one," Casio said in Filipino.

"We therefore need to shut this facility down," he added.

Casio added that the raided facility, lacking such requirements, might have served as a hidden medical service for POGO workers.

While in China to oversee the deportation of 167 Chinese nationals from an illegal POGO operation in Bamban, Tarlac, Dr. Casio provided an update on deportation efforts. 

This is the third deportation from Bamban, following the repatriation of 14 Malaysians and 52 Vietnamese. 

He clarified earlier reports of 400 deported individuals, stating the actual number is 281, with only those facing criminal charges remaining in the Philippines.

Casio highlighted the need for stricter regulations on POGOs.

He emphasized the role of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in stopping operations with provisional licenses, arguing such licenses indicate missing requirements and should prevent operation.