Data disclosed during the budget deliberation period of the Philippine Congress shows significant discrepancies in the statistics on the number of personnel related to offshore gaming (POGO) among different government agencies. This phenomenon has sparked attention and discussion about the actual situation.
Discrepancies in Data Across Departments
According to information confirmed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the congressional budget hearings, there are still about 3,927 POGO-related personnel stranded within the Philippines. This figure significantly differs from the 33,863 people previously reported by the gaming regulatory agency PAGCOR.
At the same time, the estimate of "at least 9,000 Chinese POGO workers" by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) also shows a clear discrepancy with the DOJ data. This difference has raised concerns about the accuracy of the data among all sectors.
Government Response and Measures
Rufus Rodriguez, the budget proposer for the DOJ and vice-chairman of the Congressional Appropriations Committee, stated during the plenary deliberation in the House of Representatives that the government is tracking the whereabouts of these personnel through monitoring and international cooperation. He emphasized that the government's goal is to "arrest and deport" all these stranded personnel.
The government has promised to accelerate the cleanup operations, but the inconsistency in data across departments poses challenges to the work and affects the public's accurate understanding of the scale of the issue.
Potential Impacts and Social Concerns
In recent years, the POGO industry has been linked to multiple cross-border cyber fraud, kidnapping, and human trafficking cases, which has brought special attention to the issue of stranded personnel. Analysts point out that if a large number of personnel remain in the country without effective regulation, it could pose certain social security risks.
The discrepancy in data has also sparked discussions about information transparency and coordination mechanisms. All parties are looking forward to the government providing more accurate and unified data to better assess the actual situation and formulate corresponding measures.
Future Developments and Outlook
As the cleanup operations progress, relevant Philippine departments need to strengthen coordination and establish a more comprehensive information sharing mechanism. Enhanced international cooperation will also help more effectively address the issue of stranded personnel and prevent similar situations from occurring again.
