27 foreigners in POGO raid sent to Pasay jail

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-seven foreigners who were among those arrested during a raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operation (POGO) hub in Pasay were transferred to the city jail.

Acting on commitment orders issued by a court, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission has transferred custody of the foreign nationals to the Pasay City Jail on Thursday.

The 27 were among the more than 200 foreign nationals who were apprehended on Aug. 1 at SA Rivendell Global Gaming Inc., a POGO operator allegedly involved in various scams.

The foreigners are scheduled to appear before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 111 on Aug. 30 on charges of violating Republic Act 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code in relation to RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Five Chinese nationals and a Malaysian who were also apprehended in the operation were transferred to the Bureau of Immigration (BI)’s detention center in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on Friday for alleged violations of their conditions of stay as aliens.

Their transfer to the BI is a prelude to summary deportation proceedings that will start this week.