Fifty-six Chinese nationals were arrested in the village of Olympia in Makati City yesterday in an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).
The police arrested the foreigners in a residential building along Obrero Street. Seized from the suspects were several laptops and cellphones which were supposedly used in POGO operations, reports GMA News.
Aside from working in an unregistered POGO, the suspects violated social distancing rules, according to Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, director of the National Capital Region Police Office.
Read: Senator Hontiveros alleges POGOs gave rise to prostitution, ‘menus’ of women on messaging apps
“We would like to reiterate our plea for cooperation to all the people in Metro Manila, including our foreign friends who are staying here to please observe due compliance to all existing laws especially the ECQ protocols,” Sinas told the Manila Bulletin.
POGOs are online gambling dens that have clients in China, where such vices are illegal. The government has allowed the resumption of their activities despite the enhanced community quarantine because they were supposedly a good revenue source for the Duterte administration. However, some politicians have alleged that such businesses have led to the rise of some crimes, such as kidnapping and prostitution.
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The 56 Chinese nationals are currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City and will be charged by the authorities.
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