Raid Uncovers Illegal POGO Hub in Cebu, 162 Foreign Workers Rescued

Authorities rescued 162 foreign nationals from a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub at the Tourist Garden Hotel in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on August 31, 2024. This operation marks the first discovery of an illegal POGO hub in Cebu since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a nationwide ban on such activities in his State of the Nation Address on July 22.

The raid was carried out by a joint team from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Central Visayas, Bureau of Immigration (BI), Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other agencies including the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Romeo Casio confirmed that the raided facility was operating as a fully illegal POGO. “Ito ay isang 100-percent illegal na POGO. All that we have seen here are enough evidence to be able to file cybercrime offense for facilitating cybercrime-related gambling, child trafficking,” Casio was quoted as saying in a report published by the Philippine Star. (This is a 100-percent illegal POGO.)

The foreign nationals found at the site included 83 Chinese, 70 Indonesians, six Myanmar nationals, one Malaysian, and two Taiwanese. Additionally, five Filipinos involved in managing and scamming operations were apprehended. According to Casio, the raid initially aimed to rescue Indonesian nationals who had requested assistance from their embassy. However, upon arrival, authorities discovered a large-scale illegal operation involving various foreign nationals.

Authorities found that the resort was equipped with makeshift workstations, a restaurant, grocery store, dormitory, and a health facility designed to keep workers isolated. “The compound was set up to ensure the workers did not need to leave, providing everything they required within the premises,” Casio explained.

The Bureau of Immigration’s Commissioner, Norman Tansingco, emphasized that resort owners who allow their properties to be used for illegal activities should face charges. “We will suggest to the authorities to file cases against resort owners to allow their properties to be used by illegal aliens in their covert operations,” Tansingco said in a press release.

Casio revealed that the group running the illegal POGO hub had previously evaded a raid in Pampanga and moved operations to Cebu. He noted that many of the foreign workers were victims of human trafficking, forced to work under duress.

“We were just to rescue the Indonesian nationals so when we arrived here, in flagrante delicto [caught in the act] we saw that there were scam farms run by Chinese, Indonesians, and from Myanmar,” he narrated.

The PAOCC and other agencies are now preparing to file cybercrime and trafficking-related charges. The rescued foreign nationals will be transported to Manila for inquest proceedings and possible deportation.

This major crackdown on illegal online gaming operations takes place a month after Lapu-Lapu Mayor Ahong Chan said there were no POGOs in the city.

Read related article: PH Police Raid Chinese-Run Scam Center That Forced Employees to Engage in “Lascivious Conduct”