JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) will start deporting today Chinese nationals working in illegal Philippine offshore gaming operation (POGO) outlets.
“The first deportation is set on October 19, with five or six to be initially deported,” Remulla said in a press conference, adding that Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco had already briefed him on the matter.
He said there are also 400 more Chinese POGO workers in custody who are set to be deported next.
“The Bureau of Immigration already canceled the visas of many (workers) working at illegal POGO outlets. The work is ongoing right now,” he added.
Last week, the DOJ said the immigration bureau had already canceled the visas of 1,424 Chinese nationals working in illegal POGO outlets in the country. The number is the first batch of the total 48,782 Chinese nationals working in illegal POGOs whose visas are set to be cancelled.
“It was determined by the Bureau of Immigration, through Commissioner Norman Tansingco, that a more cost-efficient and humanitarian approach would be to cancel the visas of the said Chinese nationals, instead of deporting them. The cancellation of alien visas would simply allow the Chinese nationals to voluntarily exit the country within a non-extendible period of 59 days,” Remulla has previously explained why the BI is cancelling the workers’ visas instead of immediately deporting them.
Remulla said that those who refuse to voluntarily leave the country after 59 days will be “summarily deported.”
‘TAX LEAKAGE’
Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said legitimate POGO businesses have been remiss in paying correct taxes to the government as reflected in the discrepancies between their gross gaming revenues submitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate committee on ways and means, said the “tax leakage” amounts to an estimated P1.9 billion.
He noted that the indicative gross gaming revenues from January to August this year, based on 5 percent gaming tax payments made to the BIR by POGO operators, totaled P28.36 billion.
However, the two (2) percent regulatory fee payments to PAGCOR showed an indicative gross gaming revenue for the same period at P66.67 billion.
Likewise, PAGCOR’s account receivables from POGOs during the same period were estimated at P2.3 billion.
“It’s regrettable that even legitimate POGOS are remiss in the payment of correct taxes.
This is exactly the reason a tax regime for POGOs was put in place which is to reduce uncollected taxes due the government. It is lamentable that even licensed POGOs continue to disregard accurate payment of taxes,” Gatchalian said.
Based on research, he said the government is “not realizing the full benefits of allowing POGO operations in the country,” adding that it is high time that the government consider developing other sustainable, high-yielding, and long-term businesses other than allow the continued POGO operations.
He said the uncollected revenues could have been used to enhance the country’s healthcare system as the country continues to battle with the COVID-19 pandemic.
He pointed out that under Republic Act 11590, or the law taxing POGOs, 60 percent of total revenues collected from the gaming tax on offshore gaming licensees shall be allocated in the following manner — 60 percent for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, 20 percent for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program, and another 20 percent for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the tax leakage and other illegal activities involving POGO workers are reason “to revert our policy on POGO.”
He said the projected revenues from POGO operations were estimated to be between P30 to P40 billion but “in reality” the government only gets around P3 to P5 billion, not to mention the tax leakages.
“Disappointing na ang figures — the real figures versus the anticipated figures, then papasukan pa natin ang nature of activity is not even the desirable business activity, tapos the types of people… Ang dami talaga nava-violate na prinsipyo o mga konsepto which are meant to protect the Philippine society and workers (The figures are disappointing — the real figures and the anticipated figures. Then here comes the nature of activity which is not even the desirable business activity. And then the types of people that [they employ]…
There are lots of principles or concepts which have been violated which were meant to protect the Philippine society and workers),” Pimentel said.
He hinted that “there is already a critical mass or core” in the Senate “who are calling for the reversal of the POGO policy.”
The Senate ways and means committee has been holding hearings to determine if allowing continued POGO operations will still be beneficial to the country despite the numerous criminal activities POGO workers are getting involved with.
AMNESTY
In a related development, Remulla said “someone from the BI” has recommended giving amnesty to foreigners working in illegal POGO outlets but said the process has to be studied first. He did not name who made the recommendation.
“We have to look at the recommendation on the process of amnesty ‘di lang sa POGO kundi sa iba pang illegal aliens. There are many cases of illegal aliens in the country that have become ‘milking cows,’” Remulla said.
“All of this mistreatment of aliens should stop. They should be accorded humane treatment just like our kababayans abroad. We pray that all Filipinos abroad are treated properly. So, the foreigners in the Philippines should be accorded the same humane treatment,” he added.
He also acknowledged that money had previously changed hands on the issue of illegal aliens even as he stressed the need to be compassionate on the issue.
To recall, several immigration officials and employees have been charged by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan for their involvement in the so-called “pastillas scam” where foreign nationals were allowed entry into the country without undergoing profiling, screening, and checking, in exchange for paying bribe money amounting from P10,000 to P20,000 for each national.
Remulla said he needs to consult with other government agencies on the issue of giving amnesty to illegal aliens.
“We have to look at this from the practical standpoint, the national standpoint and even the national security standpoint,” he said, adding that if there is a national security issue, he will talk to security officials on the matter. — With Raymond Africa
