The Philippines top law enforcement official says the authorities were offered significant bribes to release the Chinese nationals arrested last week for illegally working in the online gambling business.

Last Friday, National Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice officers raided the Fontana Leisure Park & Casino in the Clark Freeport Zone, arresting 1,316 Chinese nationals who were found working as call center staff for an online gambling operation.

The arrested suspects, none of whom had applied to work in the Philippines, are in the process of being deported for overstaying their welcome and violating the conditions of their tourist visas.

On Tuesday, Philippines Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II raised eyebrows when he claimed that Department of Justice officials had been offered bribes to release the arrested workers.