187 deported from the Philippines after raids on illegal gaming operators

Those deported were arrested in a series of raids in Cebu, Tarlac and Metro Manila.

The Philippines.- The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has reported that 187 Chinese nationals have been deported following their arrests during a series of raids on alleged illegal offshore gaming operators in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu, Bamban and Porac towns in Tarlac, and Metro Manila. The deportation was coordinated with the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

PAOCC executive director undersecretary Gilbert Cruz told the Philippine News Agency: “If you are a foreigner, you have to present your documents and passport. When they were arrested, they were not able to present any. They are undesirable aliens. Their offence is a violation of immigration laws, so they are subject to deportation.”

As for licensed operators, Jesus Crispin Remulla, secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), has said that 47 offshore gaming operators are still operating in the Philippines. He said the DILG will begin site inspections on December 15 to ensure operators are in the process of winding down activities following the ban issued under Executive Order (EO) 74.

“They should show that they are winding down their operations. We are also accounting the visas of foreign workers, mostly Chinese nationals,” he said in a television interview. “These two are interconnected. Once POGOs cease operations, they should leave the country because they do not have a valid working visa anymore.”

The Bureau of Immigation (BI) has reported that approximately 20,000 foreign offshore gaming workers are expected to leave the country by December 31. As of November 7, 21,757 foreign nationals linked to offshore gaming operators had voluntarily changed their work visas to temporary visitor visas and 10,821 had already left the country.