China urges gov’t to take stronger stance vs. crimes involving POGOs

China on Wednesday urged the Philippines to take strong measures against crimes related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) amid reports that some Chinese nationals are involved in fraudulent activities.

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines reiterated that all forms of gambling, whether online or overseas, are illegal for Chinese nationals.

Despite this, law enforcement​ agencies from the Philippines and China have tracked the involvement Chinese nationals in illegal activities.

“It was discovered during the law enforcement cooperation that some illegal offshore gaming employees abused Philippine judicial procedures by fabricating cases in the Philippines to avoid repatriation,” the statement said.

“Crimes induced by online gambling harm not only China’s interests and China-Philippine relations, but also the interests of the Philippines,” the statement added.

Beijing said it is willing to further cooperate with Manila in dealing with such situations to ensure laws are enforced and justice served.

“China calls on the Philippines to take strong measures to crack down on crimes related to POGOs and root out the social ills in a sweeping manner,” it said.

“The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with the Philippine government and law enforcement agencies in this regard, and jointly handle repatriation among other related issues,” it added.

So far, the embassy said, a total of three POGO parks were shut down, which led to the repatriation of some 400 Chinese nationals.

“Relevant agencies from both sides expressed satisfaction with the results of law enforcement cooperation,” the embassy stressed.