Palace orders deportation of 42 foreigners arrested in Bataan BPO raid

BATAAN RAID Government agents discovered a suspected Pogo in a raid on a sprawling complex in Barangay Padang, Bagac, in Bataan on Oct. 31. —Niño Jesus Orbeta

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has ordered the Department of Justice and Bureau of Immigration to hasten the summary deportation of 42 foreigners nabbed during a raid on an illegal offshore gaming hub in Bagac, Bataan.

“The [Department of Justice] and the [Bureau of Immigration] are hereby directed to facilitate the summary deportation of the foreign nationals apprehended,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a Nov. 12 memorandum to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

READ: ‘Pogo hub’ in Bataan seems into ‘black market banking’ – PAOCC

Bersamin is also the chair of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), which led the Oct. 31 raid on Central One Bataan PH Inc. in Bagac, Bataan, that was allegedly operating as a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) without a valid license.

The raiding team found 900 workers, including 57 foreigners and 358 Filipinos, who were suspected of being involved in criminal activities under the guise of operating as a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm.

The workers were arrested but later released on their own recognizance, with Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia acting as their guarantor. The released workers included 21 Malaysians and 19 other individuals from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil.

Case filed

One of the Central One employees, however, filed on Monday a slander by deed complaint against former PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio, who has since been relieved by Bersamin.

The suit was filed with the Bataan provincial prosecutor by a 54-year-old Filipino air conditioning technician who supposedly swore at law enforcers during the raid.

Casio was recorded on video slapping the Filipino, who had expressed concerns over his safety and that of his family following the incident. His identity was withheld.

The complainant claimed that he was among the Filipinos who were at the Central One facility when authorities arrived at around 3 p.m. on Oct. 31.

They were held until almost 9 p.m. before the raiding team told them they would soon be released, leading to cheers among them.

However, the complainant said a PAOCC officer pointed at him and accused him of flashing a dirty finger at the raiding team and being disrespectful.

He added that shortly after the accusation, Casio arrived and yelled at him, asking why he disrespected a PAOCC personnel.