A total of 108 foreign workers arrested from illegally operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) were deported last Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

With the latest deportations, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said “a total of 226 individuals have now been sent back to their home countries.”

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 26, Viado said the deportees who left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) included 98 Chinese who took a chartered flight arranged by the Chinese Embassy and 10 Vietnamese who boarded a commercial flight.

“I want to make it clear: the Philippines will not be a safe haven for illegal activities,” Viado said.  He pointed out that the deportation is BI’s intensified campaign in enforcing the directive of President Marcos banning POGOs in the Philippines.

“We are committed to enforcing our immigration laws and upholding national security,” he assured.

“Since January we have apprehended more than 500 foreign nationals linked to illegal POGO activities in various operations across Paranaque City, Cavite and Pasay City,” he said.

Among the 98 Chinese deported last Feb. 25, “91 were among the 450 arrested during a major operation in Paranaque City last Jan. 8 while seven others were from our detention facility in Bicutan.”

“Let me emphasize the swift and efficient deportation of these individuals is our top priority. We are working closely with our partner agencies to ensure that these foreign nationals are removed from the country at the soonest possible time. The longer they stay the more resources the government has to allocate for their custody,” he stated.

To further enhance the deportation proceedings, Viado said “we have coordinated with the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct one-day issuances of clearances for detained foreign nationals.”

 “This, along with our continuous coordination with foreign embassies will allow us to expedite deportation proceedings and prevent unnecessary delays,” he said.

BI Spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval disclosed that there are still around 11,000 foreign POGO workers still in the Philippines.

“‘Yan po ang ini-encourage natin ngayon na sila ay sumurender voluntarily (We encourage them to voluntarily surrender),” said Sandoval.

So far, 45 foreign POGO workers have surrendered, she said.

 “Ang gusto natin ang majority nito mahuli na by mid-year (We are hoping that most of them will be caught by the middle of the year),” she added.