The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will have to put on hold the directive it issued last month that ordered all foreign workers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to leave the country in 60 days.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said on Thursday, Aug. 1, “we held in abeyance ‘yung ginawa ng BI (what the BI did).”
“What we want to happen is to be very organized about it, about the deportation or the repatriation proceedings to be conducted for these POGOs,” said Remulla during the “Kapihan” with journalist at the DOJ on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Last July 24, the BI announced that it has given 60 days to foreign POGO workers to leave the country in accordance to the directive of President Marcos during his July 22 State of the Nation Address (SONA) to cease all POGO operations by the end of the year.
“They cannot act independently on this,” Remulla stressed.
He pointed out that what the DOJ wants to avoid is that the directive of the President being exploited by persons within the BI to earn money.
“Alam naman natin palabigasan ito. Maraming corrupt elements within the BID (We know that this can used to milk money. There are many corrupt elements in the Bureau of Immigration),” he lamented.
He said he wants to discuss with the BI “ano ang rules na dapat gawin natin kasi dapat ‘yan in consonance with the Dec. 31 deadline (what are the rules that have to be done because it has to be in consonance with the Dec. 31 deadline).”
“So we will have a high-level meeting tomorrow that will have the different agencies which will include the DOJ, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) and the BID, among others,” he also said.
Remulla reminded that the main activities of POGOs are gambling and there are people who have money with them.
”Dapat maisauli ‘yan sa mga may ganyang pera na nakalodge sa mga sales agent ng mga POGOs (The money have to be returned which are currently lodged with the sales agents of POGOs),” he explained.
“So we will choreograph everything so everything falls properly into place until Dec.31, is the most critical thing, without violating people’s rights,” he also said.