Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been spreading among foreign workers of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday, Oct. 3.

“Ang DOJ nakakuha ng iba’t ibang reports tungkol dito sa pag-spread ng STD (The DOJ has received various reports concerning the spread of STD),” said DOJ Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV.

Clavano could not give further details on the extend of the spread of STDs among POGO workers. “But the several reports we’ve gotten here at DOJ may mga cases na 15 to 20 sa isang POGO company na nagkaroon ng sexually transmitted diseases (there are 15 to 20 cases of STDs in a POGO company),” he said.

Thus, he said, the DOJ has decided to immediately take action.

“Hindi natin hihintayin na umabot pa ito sa ating mga kababayan na Filipino (We will not wait for this to affect our fellow Filipinos),” Clavano assured as he disclosed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been instructed “to determine the full extent of this.”

Clavano reiterated that the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is also set to cancel the visas of 48,782 Chinese and other foreign nationals who worked for POGOs with licenses canceled by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

“We hope all the crimes and all the ill effects nitong pag-stay ng mga Chinese and other foreign nationals ay matigil na dito sa ating operation (the continued stay of these Chinese and other foreign nationals would end because of our operations),” he said.

He said it is more economical for the government to cancel the visas of these POGO workers and leave the country at their own expense instead of deporting them which would result in the government’s expenditure for their deportation.

“We will give them 59 days non-extendible to leave the country. Kung magmamatigas sila at mag-overstay sila beyond the non-extendible 59-day period that is the only time magkakaroon ng summary deportation under the Bureau of Immigration processes (If they insist to overstay then they will face summary deportation under the BI processes),” he also said.

“Within the month of October sana makansela na lahat ng visas ng mga POGO employees that have been determined to have been hired under POGO companies whose licenses have been canceled (we hope to cancel all the visas of the employees of POGO companies whose licenses have been canceled),” he added.

He said there are already 372 foreign POGO workers facing deportation in the custody of the NBI and Philippine National Police (PNP). Of those facing deportation, 331 are Chinese, and the rest either Vietnamese of Taiwanese nationals.