Manila: Senator Raffy Tulfo has raised concerns regarding the handling of raids on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), specifically questioning the disparity in treatment between Filipino and foreign workers. During a Senate public hearing, Tulfo criticized the current system where Filipino workers receive government aid while their foreign counterparts face detention and deportation.

According to Philippines News Agency, Tulfo highlighted cases where foreign nationals, victims of human trafficking, and Filipino workers exposed the differences in how they are treated following POGO raids. Foreign workers, once apprehended, are jailed and deported, whereas Filipinos are provided assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The workers revealed that POGO employees, regardless of nationality, are involved in orchestrating love scams targeting both local and foreign individuals. Tulfo emphasized the need for accountability, stating that Filipino workers participating in these fraudulent activities should also face legal repercussions. He stressed that POGOs could not operate without Filipinos in supervisory roles, and those involved should be arrested during raids, with exceptions made for janitorial, utility, and cooking staff.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) has taken action by canceling 42 internet gaming licenses and the licenses of 18 authorized providers, with plans to shut down the industry entirely by January 2025. The last POGO license was revoked on December 15, 2024, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to cease all POGO operations in the country by December 31, 2024, or earlier.

Before the ban, the POGO sector employed 58,181 individuals, including 30,144 foreign workers. Since the deadline, intensified operations against illegal POGOs have resulted in 3,024 arrests, as reported by the Bureau of Immigration and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.