The Philippine Bureau of Immigration said in a press release that it recently deported 91 "illegal Chinese workers" who continued to work at an offshore gaming company (POGO) after the Philippines clamped down on the industry last year. Following a directive from President Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos Jr., the government revoked the licenses of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in July 2024.

Immigration officials detailed that the 91 Chinese nationals were working in various capacities at the unauthorized POGO hub.

“We remain steadfast in enforcing immigration laws. Those who abuse their residency in the Philippines and engage in illegal activities will be punished accordingly,” said Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viardo.

The bureau added that the deportees were arrested during multiple inter-agency raids authorized by the Presidential Commission Against Organized Crime. 

Immediate deportation

The Philippine Immigration Bureau said the 91 Chinese citizens were arranged to fly to China on a Philippine Airlines flight on the morning of September 19. Their repatriation was expedited with the cooperation of the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) were a $3 billion industry before President Marcos Jr. heeded calls from China and other Asian nations to end the Philippines' online gambling market. POGOs are online gaming platform providers in the Philippines that target players in countries where online casinos remain illegal, primarily China.

Marcos' predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, rejected China's calls to ban POGOs. In 2019, the controversial leader said the tax revenue and economic benefits offered by POGOs were excessive. Now, he is facing legal consequences for his war on drugs and his "shoot first, ask later" directive for law enforcement.

China cannot dictate to us,” a top Duterte aide declared.

Many former offshore gaming operators are paying the price for Marcos Jr.’s decision to pursue a different path to appease China and strengthen ties with the global superpower.

Possible jail term

Tens of thousands of Chinese nationals were lured by promises of better wages and living conditions from Philippine offshore gaming companies (POGOs). However, those promises have not materialized, with many POGO workers reporting slave-like working conditions and lower-than-expected wages.

With the industry gone, many Chinese workers have struggled to find work, and returning home is no longer an option due to legal threats.

The 91 deported offshore gaming company employees will face prosecution upon their return to China. The Chinese Communist Party not only bans all Chinese from gambling overseas, but also prohibits them from working in the gaming industry. Beijing says cross-border gambling threatens China's national security and its communist financial system.

An estimated 130,000 Chinese nationals worked in the POGO industry at its peak in 2019. POGO companies need Mandarin speakers to work in their call centers.

Many international human rights organizations often point out that Chinese prisons are among the worst in the world, where torture, forced labor and inhumane conditions are the norm.