A lawmaker on Thursday called on the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to expedite the deportation of foreign nationals previously employed by illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
In a statement, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian expressed concern over delays in the deportation process, particularly due to the lack of passports among many former POGO workers.
“Government agencies must work together to deport foreign POGO workers quickly so that law enforcement can focus on tracking down those who still defy the President’s ban,” Gatchalian said as he also lamented the lack of passports among the workers, which is hindering their deportation.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) had earlier requested the NBI to amend its policy on issuing clearances to foreign POGO workers facing deportation.
Under the NBI’s current policy, potential deportees are required to present their passports to obtain NBI clearance. However, many of these individuals reported that their passports were confiscated by their former POGO employers, causing significant delays in their deportation.
Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, stressed that in the absence of passports, the BI and NBI should develop alternative methods to verify the identities of potential deportees, such as utilizing fingerprint records held by the BI.
The senator has been a vocal advocate for the complete termination of all POGO operations in the country.
To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the prohibition of POGO operations, which took effect on 31 December 2024 which resulted in the deportation of foreign workers previously employed by POGOs.
According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., only 3,024 foreign workers have been deported so far out of 30,144 documented foreign POGO workers.