The raid of a POGO operation has spurred a new wave of critiques from Filipino lawmakers. As President Rodrigo Duterte’s office steps aside to allow the Bureau of Immigration to decide what to do with 44 Chinese POGO workers, new calls for investigation, and a potential ban on all POGO operations, have arisen.

As we’ve previously reported, an April 24 raid of a house in Parañaque City nabbed 44 Chinese nationals, as well as 9 Filipinos, who were allegedly running an illegal POGO out of a home. It’s unclear if the operation was ever licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, but it was certainly operating in defiance of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) laws, meant to protect against COVID-19.

The President’s office has declared the fate of the 44 Chinese nationals will rest entirely with the Bureau of Immigration. “That will be addressed by the (Bureau of) Immigration and Deportation… I know POGO operations are prohibited and if there reasons to do so, I’m sure the (immigration bureau) will make the right decision,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Monday press briefing.

Congressman Carlos Zarate believes this may not be the only undercover POGO operation in defiance of ECQ laws. “With this bulk of evidence, it’s either this group is part of a criminal syndicate in China or part of covert operations to subvert our laws and sovereignty,” Zarate said.