MANILA, Philippines— Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado emphasized that swift removal of arrested POGO workers is the top priority of the agency.
Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement of a total ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that it has expedited the deportation of foreign nationals involved in illegal operations.
Viado made the statement after the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights inquired on the status of ongoing deportation.
During the hearing, BI representatives were asked by Senator Risa Hontiveros as to why they allow the use of tickets with connecting flights during the implementation of deportation.
“The longer these illegal aliens remain in the country while waiting for available schedules, the more the government incurs detention costs,” Viado stated. “Our priority is to deport them at the soonest possible time, so we take whatever outbound ticket is available. The objective is to remove them from the country, and we will make sure that we will achieve this objective,” he stated.
He emphasized that deportation requires three key documents: a valid passport or travel document, an NBI clearance to confirm no pending accountability, and an outbound ticket.
To expedite the process, the BI’s Deportation and Implementation Unit has coordinated with the NBI to issue clearances within a single day.
“Our goal remains the same—to ensure their swift departure,” Viado stated. “Our priority is to have them out of Philippine soil as quickly as possible. Once this happens, they are blacklisted and we consider this a successful deportation,” he added.
The BI cited a recent case in January where a group of deportees was repatriated in just two weeks, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to efficiency.
“Delaying deportations only increases government expenses, and we want to avoid that,” he stated.
