On Thursday, the Philippine authorities expelled 180 Chinese nationals employed by a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Pasay City due to a lack of immigration documents.
These individuals were part of the 731 individuals rescued from the Smart Web Technology POGO hub during a raid conducted by an anti-human trafficking task force in October.
The targeted POGO establishment was believed to function as both a brothel and a gambling venue, leading to the rescue of numerous Filipino and foreign women.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco disclosed that the Chinese nationals were repatriated via a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight bound for Shanghai, China.
Tansingco announced the issuance of a summary deportation order against Chinese nationals due to their illegal employment in the Philippines.
“Their actions go against our laws and public interest, making them undesirable aliens,” he stated.
PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna confirmed that the airline facilitated the transportation of the passengers in accordance with the deportation order from the Bureau of Immigration.
“We followed the necessary airport handling procedures,” Villaluna added.
The task force, headed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Department of Justice, unearthed nine money vaults within the POGO facility.
A minimum of seven Filipinas were liberated from a massage parlor’s aquarium-style viewing chamber located on the second floor of the building.
