Jonvic Remulla, the Minister of Interior and Local Government, stated that he will ask the Paranaque City government to explain why there is a company in Barangay Tambo that was raided, which operates similarly to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).
Last week, about 400 foreigners suspected of being involved in the company's fraudulent activities were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration.
"Fully operational, over 400, so we are writing to the local government department to ask for an explanation of what exactly happened," Remulla said regarding the business license.
Remulla also mentioned that he will order mayors to submit a report at the end of each month on whether their city or municipal authorities are free of POGO gambling operations.
"But this is a message to all local chief executives (LCE), stop your work, do your job well, and make sure you have checked all the buildings, because if we come back to your building and you have not reported to everyone, you are the victim," Remulla stated.
Joel Anthony Viado, the head of the Bureau of Immigration, stated that it is reasonable to deport the arrested foreigners (most of whom are Chinese) immediately.
"The processing is still ongoing, so what we need to do is get their names and young identities, the Bureau of Immigration needs to verify and check the names," Viado said.
Last July, President Ferdinand Marcos announced that the Philippine government will completely ban POGO by the end of 2024, as POGO has been exploited by organized crime groups for human trafficking, money laundering, online fraud, kidnapping, and even murder.
