Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Sunday, Jan. 5, warned foreign workers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) still in the country that they will be arrested and deported.
"The President is unequivocally clear that POGOs have no place here in the Philippines and we vow to give our all-out support for the sake and welfare of the Filipino people," Remulla said in a statement.
“This Administration stands firm in its resolve to intensifying its guerilla operations against non-compliant POGOs,” he declared.
He said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has already started conducting extensive manhunt operations against the remaining foreign POGO workers still in the country who are now considered illegal aliens.
President Marcos declared during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, 2024 that POGO operations should cease by the end of 2024.
In compliance to this, the BI gave foreign POGO workers until Oct. 15, 2024 to downgrade their work visas to temporary visitor’s visas that only gave them 60 days to stay in the country.
Among the 33,863 foreign POGO workers listed with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the BI said of total of 22,609 have left the country including those who downgraded their visas.
Thus, the BI said it has started hunting down 11,254 foreign POGO workers who will be immediately deported and blacklisted from returning to the Philippines.