The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that it is set to deport a total of 11,254 foreign nationals involved in POGO operations in the country.
It was learned from BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval that out of the 33,863 POGO employees under PAGCOR, 24,779 downgraded their visas.
A total of 22,609 left the country before the December 31 deadline.
The BI is deporting those who did not downgrade and leave the country before the deadline, as well as those who downgraded but still failed to leave.
Sandoval said that companies are also obliged to surrender their POGO workers who remain in the country, and warned that if they attempt to hide said workers, they may be sued by the BI for harboring illegal aliens.
The BI ordered its intelligence division headed by Jun Manahan to initiate the search for those at large.
“They are considered illegal aliens now. Expect an intensified manhunt against these illegal aliens. The order of the President is clear. No more POGO in the Philippines. Foreign nationals who continue to disobey this will be arrested, deported, and blacklisted. No exceptions,” the BI warned.
