Despite the Philippine government's complete ban on offshore gambling (POGO), foreign fugitives have still managed to infiltrate the Philippines, triggering high alert from the President's Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz stated that according to regulations, individuals who are subject to Interpol red notices or blue notices should be intercepted immediately upon entering the Philippines. However, the entry records of these fugitives show anomalies, indicating that they might have entered the Philippines through "backdoor" channels or other illegal means.
"According to legal procedures, these international fugitives should not be allowed entry, yet they have successfully entered the Philippines and even hidden within the POGO industry, which is concerning," emphasized Cruz.
PAOCC is currently collaborating with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) to trace the entry methods of these fugitives and investigate whether immigration officers or other personnel have assisted them in bypassing normal border controls.
Cruz added, "If we find collusion within government personnel, we will take legal action to ensure that our border security is not exploited."
The Philippine government had previously strengthened border controls and continued to combat illegal POGO operations, but the ability of fugitives to infiltrate exposes vulnerabilities in the Philippine entry system. PAOCC stated that it will intensify efforts to regulate border security to prevent similar incidents in the future.
