A House leader has called for the observance of pertinent laws when it comes to the deportation of unlicensed foreign Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) workers.

According to Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda, the Philippine government should treat such workers as it would other foreigners who have been overstaying in the country.

"There are laws on the proper handling of illegal aliens...As I have repeatedly asserted, let’s just follow the law as is. We have enough laws to deport illegal workers," said Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The Bicolano made these statements even as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is facilitating the deportation of some 48,000 unlicensed foreign POGO workers, the vast majority of whom are Chinese nationals.

"We have enough laws to protect people from human trafficking. Let them operate to the fullest extent," reckoned the economist-solon.

Salceda noted that there are thousands of Filipino overseas Filipino workers that were illegally working in other countries. He claimed that there could be as many as 300,000 undocumented OFWs in the United States (US), at least 30,000 in the Netherlands, some 80,000 in Italy, and as much as 300,000 in Saudi Arabia.

"Any arbitrary law against undocumented workers here in the Philippines will reflect poorly on us, and will undermine the welfare of undocumented workers among our own compatriots.

"So, let us allow the law to take its course, consistent with humanitarian considerations and international laws and convention," Salceda said.

The veteran solon earlier warned to banning POGOs in the country would drive the industry and its workers underground.

"Eh di ‘yung mga illegal lalo silang naging illegal (Those who are doing illegal things will step up what they're doing), they will go underground. And you will just worsen the so-called social cost of POGOs," he said.