Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. Photo from House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines — Government agencies must come together to track down the 9,000 to 10,000 unaccounted workers of Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hubs, as they have not left the country despite the gaming centers being ordered closed down.
During the final hearing of the House of Representatives’ quad committee on Monday, lead presiding officer and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers and other panel officials scolded resource persons after Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission admitted that there are around 10,000 illegal Pogo workers in the country.
According to Barbers, government agencies should be proactive in checking these workers who, PAOCC chief Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said, are roaming around.
“To quote Usec Cruz, these foreigners are now ‘pakalat-kalat (all over).’ You, the concerned agencies should be proactive, wag tutulog-tulog (don’t be caught flatfooted). This matter involves national security because these foreigners may now either be criminals or spies. For all you know, one of them is your neighbor,” Barbers said.
READ: Espenido told: Pogo money used to reward anti-drug units
“If we do not know how many POGO workers have entered the country and where are they located, how can we monitor their activities?” he asked.
In response to Barbers, an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Central Luzon said that they were able to issue alien employment permits to 15,140 workers of 16 POGO establishments in the region.
According to DOLE Central Luzon Director Paolo Magtoto, they have already canceled such permits in compliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order banning Pogos.
Bureau of Immigration informed
“We have accordingly informed the Bureau of Immigration (BI) of such cancellations,” he said.
Quad committee overall vice chairperson and Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop noted that this recurring issue of not having a single depository of data on visas issued hampers enforcement.
“That is because several agencies are authorized by law to issue visas, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, the special economic zones, PRA (Philippine Retirement Authority), and even DTI (Department of Trade and Industry),” Acop said.
Illegal activities in Pogos were one of the topics investigated by the quad committee, along with extrajudicial killings in the past administration’s drug war, as well as the illicit drug trade.
Over the past few years, several Pogo hubs — like the one in Porac, Pampanga, and Bamban, Tarlac — were raided due to reports of kidnapping, illegal detention, human trafficking, prostitution, and even arbitrary killing.
There were also theories that money from Pogos and some lottery games were used to give rewards to police officers who would kill drug suspects. Furthermore, there have been concerns about Pogos being used to compromise the Philippines’ national security.
READ: Some ex-Pogo workers retrieved devices from scam hubs – PNP ACG
With these issues, Marcos last July 2024 — during his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) — issued a total ban on Pogos, ordering the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to wind up operations by the end of 2024.
Liable too
Quad committee co-chairperson and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez meanwhile said that owners of establishments which are being used to hide these missing Pogo workers — buildings, resorts, condominiums, and hotels — should also be held accountable for conducting unlawful activities.
“I think those who own these properties knows that… for example if I own a building, I should know what kind of businesses lessee will insert. There should be responsibility on their part as well, right?” Fernandez asked in Filipino.
Fernandez said this after the recent raids conducted by PAOCC, the Philippine National Police, and other agencies at a resort in Quezon province, a building along Ayala Avenue in Makati City, and a Pasay City Hotel.
“Because if we will not place any penalty on these owners, these incidents would increase in numbers. The owners of the properties should also be accountable because it is not easy to slip in 188 Chinese nationals then you would not know what they would do in your building,” he said.
“They should have culpability as well,” he added.
According to Fernandez, the property owners should be charged with violation of Marcos’ Executive Order No. 74 which banned Pogo hubs in the country.
Cruz in response said that they are looking at a “template” to include property owners in criminal cases when Pogo hub managers are charged.
“We already did this in the case of the Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga POGOs,” Cruz noted.
Cruz also noted that no Pogo operation was noted during the raid in a Quezon resort, but a full-Pogo operation was conducted in the Makati building.
“We need the cooperation of our local government units, where these groups sometimes obtain permits, and of course our local communities,” he said./mr