The raids hit sites in the municipalities of Siay and Alicia in Mindanao, as BI intelligence officers carried them out together with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In Siay, authorities detained 113 people, including 110 Chinese nationals, two Cambodians, and one Hong Kong national. In Alicia, another 131 were arrested, mostly Chinese, along with nationals from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. The bureau said it’s still verifying everyone’s exact identity and nationality.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commented:
“The Bureau of Immigration is firmly implementing the government’s policy against illegal POGO operations. We will continue to enforce our immigration laws against foreign nationals who violate the conditions of their stay and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a base for illegal activities.”
From the Casa de Coco Pension House compound, officers recovered 78 computer monitors, around 3,000 mobile phones, laptops, and SIM cards, equipment the bureau believes was also used for online scams. The BI is now investigating immigration violations, including people working without proper visas or entering the country illegally, and is looking into possible human trafficking at the sites alongside other law enforcement agencies. Additionally, authorities revealed that anyone who receives a deportation order will be blacklisted from returning to the Philippines.
The raid builds on a joint enforcement framework that multiple government agencies signed in April 2026 to coordinate intelligence and prosecutions against remaining offshore gaming operations. For context, the Philippines fully banned POGOs in 2024 under President Marcos, with the ban later formalized through Executive Order 74 and strengthened by the Anti-POGO Act of 2025.
