Photo credit: BI

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is keeping up the heat on illegal offshore gaming operators (POGOs), with 98 Chinese nationals getting deported this week. This is part of the government’s wider push to shut down illegal POGO activities and curb the crimes that often come with them.

Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to eliminate POGOs, the BI, along with other government agencies, has been conducting raids and deportations at an unprecedented scale. The latest batch of deportees boarded a Philippine Airlines chartered flight to Xi’an, China, on the evening of February 25.

Of the 98 deported individuals, 91 were among the 450 arrested in a major operation in Parañaque City last January. The remaining seven were detained at the BI’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig. The Chinese Embassy arranged the chartered flight to expedite their return.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stressed that the agency is working tirelessly to rid the country of illegal foreign workers.

“We are working relentlessly with our partner agencies to ensure the swiftest deportation possible,” Viado said. “This is a clear message that the Philippines will not be a safe haven for illegal activities.”

And it doesn’t stop here—since January, authorities have arrested over 500 foreign nationals linked to illegal POGO operations in Parañaque, Cavite, and Pasay. Of these, 226 have already been sent home.

The February 25 deportation wasn’t just limited to the Chinese nationals—10 Vietnamese individuals were also sent back to their home country via NAIA Terminal 1.

Viado assured the public that deportation efforts are being fast-tracked. “We will continue to find ways to make the process even faster. The sooner they leave, the better for everyone.”

With the BI and law enforcement agencies doubling down on these operations, it’s clear that the Philippine government is serious about shutting down illegal POGOs once and for all.