MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and China are working to come up with guidelines on deporting Chinese workers in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators that have lost their business permits over illegal activities, including kidnapping and extortion.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said the Philippines hopes to start deporting the former POGO workers by the end of September or by the first week of October. The country is working with China on procedures, including testing for COVID-19, for sending them home.
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"[W]e are asking [China] to accommodate our request to get those who are overstaying so we have to agree on matters that have to be agreed upon," Remulla said in mixed English and Filipino on Thursday.
Remulla met with Zhou Zhiyong, ad interim chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy, on Thursday to discuss POGO companies that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. lists as "cancelled".
The DOJ has custody of nearly 300 overstaying Chinese workers, but Remulla expects that number to grow as the investigation into the POGOs continues.
"Exchange of information muna bago mangyari ang lahat," he said. "Siyempre, kailangan ma-verify ang lahat ng identities, at kung okay na sa kanila ang identities, tatanggapin na nila ‘yung mga kailangan pauwiin dahil overstaying."
(We need to exchange information before all else. Of course, we need to verify all their identities and if their identities match, then China would bring back home all of those who are overstaying.)
PAGCOR has cancelled the permits of 175 POGO companies, which would mean around 40,000 Chinese nationals will need to be repatriated, according to Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano.
However, the Bureau of Immigration also recently told a Senate committee that POGO workers with expired visas have a culture of just moving to other firms, while other POGO workers enter the Philippines on tourist visas. — with reports from Kristine Joy Patag and Franco Luna