Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jonvic Remulla has ordered all local government units to inspect all buildings in their jurisdictions to flush out any remaining POGO workers who have been declared illegal aliens after 31 December 2024.

Remulla in an interview said he issued the instruction to check all buildings to the LGUs and to the Philippine National Police (PNP) since this was the time for the renewal of business permits.

“Yes, to check all buildings because with the renewal of business permits they have the power to inspect all the buildings, they have the power to go in to inspect all the machinery, and in so doing they can see if there are (POGO) operations going on,” he said.

The Interior secretary said that even if the remaining POGO workers shifted their operations to residential areas, the LGUs could inspect them since it is within their power to investigate.

Remulla said that of the 353,000 POGO workers issued visas from 2016 to 2022, 11,000 remained in the country, making them illegal aliens who could be conducting illegal activities.

“If they are illegal aliens, the BI, DoJ will go after them. If illegal activities, the DILG will go after them,” he said.

On the issue of fake birth certificates issued to POGO workers, Remulla said all local civil registries fall under the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) but the DILG will check the workers’ documents and if there is an implicit knowledge and participation of the LGUs in the falsification, they would go after them.

Remulla said that even the CEZA and PEZA zones are not exempted because Executive Order 74 is very clear that they could be inspected.

“Very clear with EO 74 that CEZA, PEZA zones are not exempted. The Cagayan, Cavite, Bataan export zones are not exempted,” Remulla said.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced on Friday it is set to deport 11,254 foreign nationals who were worked in POGO operations throughout the country.

According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, 24,779 of the 33,863 POGO workers under Pagcor had downgraded their visas, and 22,609 left the country before the 31 December deadline.

Viado said those who did not downgrade and leave the country before the deadline, as well as those who downgraded but did not depart the country, will be deported.

The BI chief said that companies are obligated to surrender any POGO workers who remain and warned that if they tried to hide the workers, they may face charges of harboring illegal aliens.

“Expect a more intense manhunt for these undocumented migrants. The President has made it very clear that POGOs will no longer be permitted to operate in the country. Foreign nationals who continue to disobey and violate this will be arrested, deported, and blacklisted with no exceptions,” he said.