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Duterte unaware 'pastillas' officers he 'fired' are still with Immigration bureau: spokesman

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 29 04:42 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte did not know that the Immigration personnel he said he fired for alleged corruption were in truth still in government service, his spokesman said on Thursday.    Read more »

DOJ: BI officers tagged in 'pastillas' scam back on duty amid Duterte claim they were fired

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 28 07:51 PM

MANILA— Bureau of Immigration personnel tagged in the controversial "Pastillas" scam are now back on duty and were not fired, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed Wednesday, contrary to President Rodrigo Duterte's statement.   Read more »

House approves on final reading bill taxing persons engaged in POGOs

RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 08 09:12 PM

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading a bill that will tax persons engaged in Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs). Read more »

Lower House mulls bill to tax persons engaged in POGOs

RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 26 10:11 PM

MANILA - The House of Representatives has started considering on second reading the substitute bill to House Bill 5777 taxing persons engaged in Philippine offshore gaming operations. Read more »

De Lima seeks fresh Senate probe on POGOs

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jun 17 02:55 PM

Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima on Wednesday sought to investigate what she called an "increasing frequency" of illegal activities linked to Chinese-run offshore gaming firms in the Philippines. Read more »

Drilon to include stricter POGO tax collection provision in Bayanihan 2

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jun 02 05:33 PM

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday pushed for the inclusion of a provision that will mandate online gambling firms to fully pay their taxes to boost the Philippines' fund for coronavirus response programs. Read more »

Philippines to lose P50 billion if POGOs classified as BPOs: senator

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of May 05 09:47 AM

Classifying Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGOs) as business process outsourcing (BPO) firms will allow them to skip the payment of license fees, resulting in the loss of some P50 billion over due franchise fees, Sen. Franklin Drilon said Tuesday. Read more »

Hontiveros seeks Senate nod to ban POGOs in Philippines

Katrin Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Apr 28 01:41 PM

Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday filed a resolution seeking to "disallow the resumption" of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in the country, citing the industry's failure to pay P50 billion in taxes and various social ills it caused in the country. Read more »

POGO workers' influx to PH 'directly' linked to rise in criminality - police

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Mar 05 06:29 PM

(UPDATE) - The recent increase in kidnapping and prostitution cases in the country is "directly dependent" to the influx of Chinese workers to the Philippines, a high-ranking police official said Thursday, as a Senate panel looked into the connection between Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and a spike in criminality in the country. Read more »

Outlaw POGOs? Palace says let’s see

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Mar 04 05:19 PM

“If the legislature makes it unlawful, then ibang usapan na yun. We will have to wait for the President whether he agrees with it or not,” Presidential spokesman Sal Panelo said.  Read more »

Gordon: Philippines-China closeness breeds 'tolerance' from authorities

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Mar 04 04:26 PM

A senator who is leading an inquiry into alleged illegal activities tied to POGOs that cater to mainland Chinese said Wednesday the Philippines' closeness to China could be holding authorities back. Read more »

Immigration officer tags NAIA ex-terminal heads as 'conduits' of illegal Chinese entry in PH

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Feb 20 04:32 PM

Former Immigration terminal heads at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) facilitated the "pastillas" scheme, which enabled illegal Chinese workers - including blacklisted individuals - to enter the Philippines, an Immigration officer told a Senate panel, Thursday. Read more »

Robredo seeks action on alleged bribery scheme for entry of Chinese POGO workers

Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 19 08:40 PM

The immigration bureau has relieved five of its officials in connection with the controversy. Read more »

'Bastusan na ito': Pangilinan wants errant POGOs closed due to corruption, crime

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 19 03:36 PM

Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday called for the "immediate closure" of errant Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) amid "influx of illegality" hounding the industry. Read more »

Palace denies turning blind eye on POGO woes

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Feb 18 06:05 PM

Malacañang denied Tuesday that it was ignoring reported anomalies hounding Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in light of allegations that local immigration personnel receive bribes from Chinese nationals who enter the country to illegally work in the industry. Read more »

Philippine senator bares alleged bribery scheme for entry of Chinese workers in POGOs

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Feb 17 02:35 PM

Philippine immigration personnel and relevant local handlers, including members of alleged syndicates, are receiving "service fees" from Chinese nationals who enter the country as tourists but work in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) industry, a senator said Monday. Read more »

THE DAY IN PHOTOS: February 12, 2020

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 13 12:21 AM

Here are the big stories today in photos Read more »

Hontiveros raises concern vs illegal POGOs

Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB
Posted at Feb 12 02:21 PM

Senator Risa Hontiveros hugs Lai Yu Cian (Ivy), a Taiwanese offshore gaming worker who has been a victim of human trafficking and unfair labor practices, during a press conference at the Senate on Wednesday. Read more »

Taiwanese POGO worker cries trafficking, tags 'protector' in gov't

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Feb 12 04:09 PM

Lai Yu Cian narrated her story before reporters in the Senate, accompanied by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who is investigating alleged abuses in POGOs or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations. Read more »

Lucky in the Year of the Rat? Filipino businessmen cash in on Chinese expats

Jessica Fenol, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 24 10:53 AM

Enterprising Filipinos who cater to Chinese POGO workers are cashing in on Chinese New Year demand, as uncertainties loom due to a regulatory crackdown and a new virus outbreak in the mainland. Read more »