DOLE told to review over 42K work permits issued to POGO workers

The Senate has urged the Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) to review the 42,409 alien employment permits (AEPs) issued to foreigners working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) companies.

The call was made during the Senate plenary deliberations on the DOLE’s proposed 2024 budget after Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva asked if the confiscated AEPs in a recently-raided POGO hub in Pasay City were legitimate.

According to Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, who defended the agency’s budget, 42,409 out of 60,541 AEPs were issued to foreign workers who work for “legal” POGOs.

“I hear what you are saying. They should look at all issued AEPs of 42,000 and they claim it’s legal, [and] to look into these illegal facilities, to be strict, and the possible revocation,” Legarda said.

Legarda said the DOLE should revoke the work permits of foreign workers if it is found that they are working for illegal POGOs.

“I am asking DOLE to review the 42K plus issued...no one has been revoked, I am told,” she said.

During the plenary, Legarda disclosed that foreigners only need to pay P12,000 each  for their AEP application.

“Kaya pala (that’s the reason why POGOs are) a haven for all those who want to do illegal things. This is terrible,” expressed Legarda.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri pointed out the need for DOLE to have strict monitoring on the foreign workers who were issued with AEPs similar to what other countries are doing.

“Parang tayo dito pag binigyan ng alien permit, (let the) good times roll. They can work anywhere,” he said.

Legarda also requested DOLE to submit a list of all the issued AEPs, including the details of its issuance and the foreigners’ sponsors, as well as a list of revoked permits.

“We're asking the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) to look into all these 42,000 plus AEPs… Kindly review and revisit the more than 42,000 which you claimed are legal and legitimate,” she said.

Zubiri also appealed to DOLE to revoke the AEPs of the foreigners, if they had any, who were working in the POGO hub that was recently raided in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Villanueva asked if there are monitoring mechanisms for foreign workers considering an inter-agency task force was formed in 2019 to track POGO workers.

“I wonder if we have established this database with their corresponding employment information so that we will be able to track them. It’s important to know that we are aware of what they are doing,” he said.

“I’m sure nu’ng in-issue n’yo ‘yung alien employment permits, hindi niyo alam na gagamitin ‘yun sa sex den, sa torture chamber, sa paggawa ng mga illegal activities,” he added.

(I'm sure when the AEPs were issued, you didn't know these were going to be used for a sex den, a torture chamber and commiting illegal activities.)

Since the Senate is planning to investigate the alleged issuance of government IDs and Philippine passports to foreigners, Zubiri invited the DOLE to participate in the hearings.

“We will include in the investigation the DOLE, not to investigate you, but just to give us the report, the process-- how do you process them and what are the violations that they do that will revoke their permits in working in the Philippines. Para clarified po ang committee and if there’s any actions that have been done,” he said.

Legarda agreed with Zubiri, saying it is alarming that government resources are being used by shady foreign nationals to appear legitimate in the country.

The Senate president reminded DOLE that the Office of the Ombudsman will look into the alleged issuance of government IDs and passports to foreigners.

During the Senate investigation into the raided POGO hub in Pasay last week, Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) presented copies of Tax Identification Number IDs, PhilHealth IDs and Certificate of Alien Registration, Alien Employment Permit, and police clearance IDs that were seized from workers caught in the premises.