The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) reported Monday that approximately 216 foreign nationals remain in government custody as officials process their deportation and criminal cases linked to now-banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio said in a televised interview that the figure includes both foreign witnesses and those undergoing deportation proceedings. Casio cited that some of the individuals are also “accused of criminal cases with regards to violations of our criminal laws.”

While POGO workers were initially expected to have voluntarily left the country by December 2024, Casio said the immigration proceedings have been delayed due to the necessity of canceling previously issued permits.

“It’s taking a long time because there are documents that need to be presented, such as cancellation of their alien employment permits, cancellation of their so-called working visas in relation to POGO,” Casio said.

The Philippine government currently spends about P1.4 million monthly to maintain these foreign nationals, covering housing, meals, and other basic needs at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) facility in Taguig City.

This update follows the signing of the Anti-POGO Act of 2025 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 23 October. The new law institutionalized the ban on offshore gaming operations in the country and repealed a previous law that taxed POGO licensees.

bi Commissioner Joel Viado expressed the agency’s support for the measure, calling it a “decisive step in protecting national security and public order.”

He added that the law will help safeguard the country’s borders from criminal syndicates using offshore gaming as a front for illegal activities like human trafficking and cybercrime.