The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is reviewing current visa arrangements for Chinese nationals to prevent policy abuse and curb criminal activity linked to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Malacañang announced on Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that she raised the issue with the DFA following concerns from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) that flexible entry policies may be facilitating the influx of foreign nationals involved in underground gambling networks and organized crime.
The review comes shortly after a PAOCC-led raid this week resulted in the arrest of at least 81 Chinese nationals operating an unauthorized POGO facility.
“Ipinaabot ko na po sa DFA iyong maaaring issue ng visa free pabor sa ating mga kaibigan na Chinese,” Castro said during a press briefing. (I have already brought to the attention of the DFA the potential issues surrounding the visa policy for our Chinese friends.)
“So, titingnan din po nila kung ano ang nagiging issue or nagkakaroon ba ito nang hindi magandang epekto kung sa paggawa ang mga krimen dito sa Pilipinas o aaralin po ng DFA,” she added. (The DFA will examine whether this policy is causing problems—such as contributing to the commission of crimes here in the Philippines—or leading to other adverse effects.)
Castro reaffirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal offshore gaming operations and associated criminal activities.
While President Marcos ordered a total ban on POGOs in 2024, PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio recently noted that several clandestine operations continue to persist by shifting to smaller, underground setups.
In response, Castro assured that PAOCC and the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are actively intensifying enforcement operations to dismantle remaining syndicates.
“Ang utos ng Pangulo patungkol dito sugpuin ang kontrabando. Kung anuman ang ilegal na ginagawa sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas dapat itong hanapin, papanagutin at huwag titigil hangga’t hindi nauubos ang mga activities na ginagawa ng mga gumagawa ng ganitong klaseng krimen,” Castro stressed. (The President’s order is to stop these illegal activities. Whatever unlawful acts are committed within Philippine territory must be investigated, perpetrators held accountable, and operations sustained until all such criminal activities are fully eliminated.)
The DFA is expected to coordinate with law enforcement and immigration authorities to assess current visa controls and recommend tightened screening protocols where necessary.