Government vows to go after illegal POGO recruiters

MANILA, Philippines — There will be a crackdown on groups involved in the illegal recruitment of Chinese workers for offshore gambling operations in the Philippines, Malacañang said yesterday.

“Anything illegal, we will run after them,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters when asked how the administration would deal with the surge of Chinese nationals hired for offshore gaming operations.

The Chinese embassy on Thursday issued a strongly worded statement that in accordance with their laws prohibiting all forms of gambling, Beijing is cracking down on offshore gaming and other gambling operations involving Chinese citizens, whether they are in the mainland or  abroad. The statement indicated that all such operations in the Philippines are considered illegal by Beijing and would be the subject of the crackdown, together with the money laundering and other criminal activities linked to offshore gaming.

The Philippine government has yet to directly address this part of the embassy statement.

Panelo said concerned government agencies should make sure offshore gambling operators follow regulations related to hiring of foreign workers.

“Definitely, it can be illegal if they do not observe the protocols imposed by our government,” Panelo said in an interview with reporters at Camp Crame. He was at the main police headquarters yesterday for 118th Police Service Anniversary.

Panelo said he has not talked with President Duterte regarding his position on the operations of offshore gambling. 

In his speech at Camp Crame last night, Duterte talked about games of chance operated legally by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and other forms of gambling but did not mention anything about POGO or the Chinese embassy’s statement.

The Chinese embassy on Thursday issued a statement expressing grave concern over the statement of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. vice-president Jose Tria that Chinese POGO workers would be transferred to “self-contained” communities.

The embassy also advised Chinese citizens against working illegally in the Philippines and reminded them that any form of gambling is illegal in China.

Panelo said the Chinese government has not filed any complaint regarding illegal recruitment of Chinese nationals for jobs at casinos and other gambling enterprises.

“What I was saying yesterday, we urge this so- called victims of whatever violations they feel they have been subjected to, to file complaints so that we will know how to respond,” he said.

Panelo said the Philippine government “will not allow any abuse committed by our countrymen against them.”

Asked if he was aware of any case of abuse committed against Chinese, he said there’s none “as far as I know, otherwise, it would have been published in your newspapers.” 

Meanwhile, senators said herding POGOs into “hubs” may not be enough to address problems arising from their proliferation in the country.

Sen. Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor and employment, maintained that POGOs do not create jobs, and have been “flaunting their belated income tax payments” as their contributions to the economy. –

With Paolo Romero