DOJ assures orderly exit for foreign POGO workers

By Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

FILE: FOREIGN POGO WORKERS. More than 40 foreigners reportedly forced to work for an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Angeles City, Pampanga are rescued on Sept. 17, 2022. The Department of Justice on Thursday (August 1, 2024) assured that the government is committed to an orderly phaseout of the POGO industry, including the organized repatriation of its foreign workers, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ban all POGOS. (Photo: Police Regional Office 3/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday assured that the government is committed to an orderly phaseout of the Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) industry, including the organized repatriation of its foreign workers, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ban all POGOS in the country.

Speaking to reporters, Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla said the plan to phase out POGOs had long been in consideration, but had been put off by concerns over the impact on local workers and businesses engaged with POGOs.

“Itong (The) total ban (on POGOs) has been in consideration for the longest time. But there was something stopping the President’s decision in the beginning because of the employment of Filipinos, actually more Filipinos being employed now by these POGOS,” he said.

“But that’s already water under the bridge because the policy has been set, and the reason for that is the social cost, I think he (Marcos) said it very clearly in the SONA, na (that) they will have to bite the bullet because the social cost, not really the political cost, the cost to our criminal justice system and the way that this has already gone overboard we really have to stop these POGOS already,” Remulla said.

During his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Jul 22, Marcos acknowledged that POGOs have already “ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder.”

“The grave abuse and disrespect of our system must stop. Kailangan nang itigil ang panggugulo nito sa ating lipunan at paglapastangan sa ating bansa (It is now imperative to stop this chaos that is wreaking havoc to our society and desecrating our country). Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” Marcos said.

The President also ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to cease operations of POGOs by the end of the year, as well as the Department of Labor and Employment to help workers who will be displaced.

Remulla said the DOJ will have a high-level meeting on Friday with various government agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration, to discuss the repatriation of foreign POGO workers.

Estimates have placed anywhere between 20,000 to 40,000 expatriates working in POGOs nationwide.

“What we want to happen is to be very organized about the deportation or the repatriation proceedings to be conducted for these POGOs, the scheduling of everything, so that no rights will be violated. This is of paramount importance,” Remulla said, adding that the process would prioritize voluntary exit from the country.

He said the fate of legitimate financial accounts of individuals in POGOS being kept by sales agents is another concern.

He said since the main activity of POGOs is gambling, people keep money in accounts lodged with POGO sales agents.

“Dapat maisauli yung mga perang yan pag tapos na yung period ng operation ng POGO. So, yan ang mahalaga na mangyari para naman walang unjust enrichment na mangyari (These money have to be returned after the closure of the POGO. That is important to prevent unjust enrichment on the part of the sales agents),” Remulla said.

‘So, we will choreograph everything so everything falls properly into place until December 31. The most critical thing is: without violating people’s rights. Iyan ang aming binabantayan (that is what we are safeguarding),” he said.