A total of 518 foreign workers of the now banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) have been arrested this year and 121 of them had been deported, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

“In seven weeks nakahuli na po ng 518, nakapagdeport na tayo ng 121 (In seven weeks we arrested 518 and deported 121),” said BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval during a press briefing in Malacanang.

Sandoval said the 518 foreigners were arrested during four raids conducted by the bureau and other law enforcement agencies against illegally operating POGO-like operations.

These included the arrest of 450 in Paranaque City on Jan. 8; 29 arrested in Silang, Cavite on Jan 15; 33 arrested in Paranaque City on Jan 17; and six arrested in Pasay City on Feb. 17, she said.

“Lahat po ng mga arrests na ito ay kasama po ang BI, kasama po natin ang PAOCC, NBI or PNP (The arrests were done by the BI along with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the National Bureau of Investigation or the Philippine National Police),” she also said. 

Sandoval assured: "May mga susunod pa pong major operations ang BI (the BI has more major operations).”

Pursuant to the directive of President Marcos to ban POGOs in the country, Sandoval said: “Beginning Jan. 1 nag-initiate na po ang ating pamunuan ng intensified drive to locate, arrest and expeditiously deport foreign POGO workers na nanatili dito sa Pilipinas (the BI leadership initiated an intensified drive to locate, arrest and expeditiously deport foreign POGO workers that remain in the country).”

“Inaasahan po natin na marami pang batches (We expect more batches) of deportation in the next few weeks upon release of their travel documents and receipt of their outbound tickets and clearances,” she also said. 

Already, she added, a batch of 150 Chinese nationals will be deported next week.

Apart from those arrested, Sandoval said there were also 45 foreign POGO workers who voluntarily surrendered this year.

"Nakapag-approve po ang BI ng (the BI has approved) voluntary deportation of another 45 POGO-related foreign nationals,” she said.

Apart from hunting down and deporting these aliens, the spokesperson said “we are also conducting strict arrival formalities against foreign nationals who were involved or likely to engage in illegal POGO operations in the country.”

So far, she disclosed there have been a total of 340 foreign nationals who were denied entry this year on suspicion of conducting activities related to POGOs here in the Philippines.

“We are also conducting strict assessment of foreign nationals sa pag-grant po natin ng working visas kasi (in the grant of working visas because) there might be companies, and we are investigating companies, that are fronts for illegal POGOs,” she also said.

Meanwhile, Sandoval disclosed that “we are initiating or studying legal action against POGO employers who failed to comply with the deadline.”

It can be recalled that POGOs that have been licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) were given by the BI until Oct. 15, 2024 to get the work visas of their foreign workers downgraded to temporary visitors visas which only allows them to stay in the Philippines for 60 days.

“Ang mga kumpanya nila na nagpetisyon sa kanila ay may responsibilidad na siguraduhin na sila ay legal na pumasok, legal na manatili, at legal na aalis (Companies who petitioned foreign workers have the responsibility to ensure that these individuals legally entered the country, legally staying in the country, and legally leaving the country),” Sandoval said.

.Among the 33,863 foreign POGO workers in the list of PAGCOR, Sandoval said 11,254 were found remaining in the country including the 518 arrested.

"Inndividuals who coddle illegal POGO workers will face cases for harboring illegal aliens,” she warned.