Despite concerns linking them to crimes including murder, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) will be back in business by the end of April, according to Labor Undersecretary Dominique Tutay. At a recent press conference, Tutay said, “POGOs will continue as long they are allowed by law. We will just continue our initiative to regulate and ensure that these firms are compliant with labor and immigration laws as well as payment of taxes.”
The POGO industry has also been linked to sex trafficking, botched work visas, money-laundering, and kidnapping.
Tutay said the department was currently investigating up to 2,000 foreign nationals that were allegedly working in POGOs without the required foreign work visa.
Last month, the labor department also found 4,000 foreign nationals in POGO firms that were using the same Tax Identification Numbers in their work visa.
These concerns were set to be discussed and resolved in March, but the work halted due to the lockdown in Luzon.
