The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) is mulling the deportation of over 1,000 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers currently in its custody.
In a radio interview, PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz said they are planning to deport these foreigners within the next two to three weeks, as some of them are undergoing dialysis and receiving treatment for HIV.
Cruz said these POGO workers are currently being held at a PAOCC temporary detention facility in Pasay City.
“Titingnan natin kung kakayanin ng two to three weeks. Kasi sa dami niyan, isa-isa kailangan lagyan ng dokyumento kasi usually karamihan wala nang passport (We'll see if we can manage it within two to three weeks. Given the number, each one of them needs to acquire documents because, usually, most of them no longer have passports),” he said.
Cruz noted that cases involving deportees without passports are being coordinated with their respective embassies to secure one-time travel documents for them.
On Thursday, PAOCC raided a POGO hub involved in love scam operations in Makati City. Up to 600 Filipinos and foreign nationals were at the location.
On Friday, seven Indonesian POGO workers surrendered to PAOCC.
They are now in PAOCC custody and undergoing debriefing while repatriation is being coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy.
The PAOCC has been coordinating with the Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines for their repatriation.
Among the 33,863 foreign POGO workers listed by PAGCOR, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported that 11,254 were still in the country, including the 518 who have been arrested.
BI previously said 518 foreign workers from the now-banned POGOs have been arrested this year, with 121 of them already deported.
The immigration agency warned individuals who coddle illegal POGO workers “will face cases for harboring illegal aliens.”