Senator Sherwin Gatchalian stated over the weekend that despite a total ban being imposed seven months ago, bosses of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) remain in the country and continue to engage in illegal activities, including kidnapping.
According to the senator, he was given information that the leaders of POGO hubs are still in the country and continue to commit “pocket scams.”
“Iyung iba dito ay pumasok sila dito gamit ‘yung kanilang working visa, ‘yung iba ay nagtatago. Iyung mga nananatili dito, ito ‘yung ayaw bumalik ng China kasi mahigpit ang China,” he said in an interview.
According to data from Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), POGOs vacated 274,000 square meters of office space over the past year.
However, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) director Winston Casio stated that despite the deportation of around 2,000 workers, government data shows that approximately 10,650 POGO-related foreign nationals remain in the country.
“We’ve been conducting almost nonstop mga rescue, mga raids since February 13, so in the next few weeks, probably, we’ll be able to identify other members ng mga Chinese kidnapping syndicates na mga ito,” he said in Katrina Son’s report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.
“Sa tulong ng NBI (National Bureau of Immigration) at tsaka ng PNP (Philippine National Police), I’m sure ma-neu-neutralize ang mga ito,” he added.