HEALTH CHECK This foreigner is one of several held at the custodial facility of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) who receive medical care from the government. —PAOCC photo
MABALACAT CITY, PAMPANGA, Philippines — The government continues to provide medical care to foreign nationals detained following their arrest in scam operations in Porac town in Pampanga, Bamban town in Tarlac, and other sites linked to activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).
According to Winston Casio, public relations director and spokesperson of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), more than 30 foreign nationals currently held at the PAOCC Custodial Facility in Pasay City require medical attention.
The ailing foreigners were among 947 foreign nationals, most of them Chinese, currently held at the PAOCC custodial center.
READ: PAOCC: 1,000 illegal Pogo workers nabbed, only around 10,000 more to go
Among the sick were three refugee seekers—two Vietnamese and a Chinese—who were rescued from the Lucky South 99 scam farm in Porac. Two are suffering from mental health conditions, while the third has persistent abdominal pain. Casio said these individuals sought refuge at the PAOCC facility after exhausting their financial resources.
One high-profile detainee, Chinese national Tony Yang, also known as Yang Jian Xin, a suspected financier of scam operations, was hospitalized after coughing up blood for three days while in PAOCC custody.
He was taken to a private hospital in Taguig City on March 24, where he was diagnosed with suspected tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Fund allocation
After receiving treatment, Yang was discharged and placed in isolation at the PAOCC facility.
PAOCC confirmed in a statement on Sunday that the government has allocated funds to cover the medical care of foreign nationals temporarily housed at its custodial facility while awaiting deportation.
“With the help of other national agencies, PAOCC provides weekly medical and dental checkups for those who require them. Likewise, it provides free medicines and laboratory services for those who need them,” Paocc said.
Detainees requiring more extensive medical care will be transferred to government hospitals. Those who can afford private health care are permitted to seek treatment at private hospitals but must be accompanied by security personnel.
PAOCC disclosed that several detainees suffer from serious illnesses requiring long-term treatment, including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, HIV, and respiratory infections. Those diagnosed with communicable diseases are placed in isolation.
Committed
Among the more than 30 detainees in need of continuous medical attention, one Taiwanese has HIV, while two Chinese have hepatitis B. Additionally, three Chinese women, two Vietnamese women, and one Myanmar national are pregnant.
While acknowledging the financial strain of providing medical services to detainees, PAOCC noted that the government remains committed to upholding its international obligations.
PAOCC said that while the financial costs of medical services required by the foreign nationals “may be prohibitive at times,” the government “religiously abides by its international obligations to respect the inherent integrity and value of the human person even if they are accused of violating Philippine criminal and administrative laws.”