20 charged in Chinese-linked POGO crackdown, deportations to intensify
20 people arrested in last week’s raid on a suspected Chinese-run Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) facility in Parañaque City are now facing criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ), authorities confirmed.
The Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – National Capital Region said 18 of the accused are Chinese nationals, while the other two are Filipinos.
“There are 18 foreigners who were arrested, and two Filipinos are also facing charges,” said CIDG-NCR chief Colonel Marlon Quimno in a press briefing on 24 February 2025.
Last week, a coordinated operation led by the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission (PAOCC), along with multiple agencies—including the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime (DOJ OOC)—exposed a suspected POGO facility.
Arrests signal deportation
During the raid, 453 individuals were taken into custody. Three of them voluntarily provided details about activities inside the facility. These individuals, along with other complainants—both foreigners and Filipinos—are now serving as witnesses.
The raid resulted in the detention of 307 Filipinos, 137 Chinese, three Vietnamese, two Malaysians, two Thais, one Indonesian, and one Taiwanese. Authorities believe the facility was heavily involved in human trafficking and illegal online gambling.
Plans are also in place to deport many of the foreign nationals back to their home countries. Concerned that some POGO workers are evading deportation, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is working to expedite their return.
Last-ditch efforts to avoid exit
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado highlighted that detaining these workers has already cost the government around P210 million (€3.5 million) since the crackdown began in 2023.
“The longer they stay, the more the government has to pay for their detention,” Viado said.
Authorities have revealed that some POGO workers attempt to evade deportation by deliberately skipping their connecting flights. PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio revealed that some Chinese deportees have intentionally missed their layovers to avoid returning home.
The Chinese embassy has asked the PAOCC and BI to avoid layovers, as their nationals are using them to escape. To prevent this, authorities are now prioritising direct flights from Manila to Beijing. The BI has also partnered with the National Bureau of Investigation to speed up deportation clearances, aiming to complete them within a day.
This strategy is already showing results. Last month, a group of POGO workers were sent home within two weeks, the BI reported. Unlike before, deportees now pay for their own flights, reducing government expenses, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval confirmed.
“Deportees cover the cost of their own repatriation,” Sandoval said.
As investigations continue, more people from the raided POGO facility may face charges. Meanwhile, the government remains committed to shutting down illegal gaming operations and ensuring detained foreign workers are deported swiftly.
