Philippine authorities arrested 163 foreigners and rescued six others at a gated compound in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, following a weekend raid, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said. The operation targeted a suspected POGO hub, and the count rose from an initial estimate of about 150 foreigners to 169 by Monday1.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the arrested foreigners were being held at the raided site and would undergo legal processing. Of the 169, 163 were considered arrested and six were considered rescued1. By nationality, 91 were Chinese, 69 Indonesian, six Burmese, two Taiwanese and one Malaysian1. Authorities also arrested four Filipinos during the operation1.
"We have rescued six Indonesians. They were part of the 13 who the Indonesian Embassy requested for rescue"
Casio said the six rescued Indonesians were part of a group of 13 whose release the Indonesian Embassy had requested, and that the rest were held on suspicion of being scam farm workers1. He said the four arrested Filipinos described themselves as "remnants" of previously raided POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga, and that most of the 169 foreigners also came from those two sites1. Bamban was raided in March and Porac in June1.
Authorities requested search warrants for gadgets seized in the operation and were drafting an order for Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to allow the confiscation of the 2-hectare compound and all vehicles1. Asked who owned the property, Casio said it may belong to a family of Chinese nationals holding a special retirement residency visa, and that the facility had operated since 20191. He said it was once open to the public and is still listed on booking websites, but appeared reserved for foreign nationals working at the scam farm1.
Casio said authorities are still looking into around 300 illegal POGO hubs1. He called on local government units to be more vigilant, saying ignorance is not a sufficient defense1.
What it means for players
The raid sits inside a wider crackdown. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he is banning all POGOs in the country by the end of the year1. For people who gamble in the Philippines, that means the legal offshore gaming sector is winding down, while enforcement is aimed at unlicensed operations. The Lapu-Lapu case shows the pattern authorities describe: compounds that present as ordinary commercial or accommodation sites while allegedly housing foreign workers. Casio said the facility was still listed on booking websites1, so a legitimate-looking address is not proof of a legitimate business. Anyone dealing with an unlicensed operator faces the risk that funds, accounts or personal data sit inside an operation that can be raided and shut without notice. Reporting routes and warning signs are set out in our guide to gambling scams and safety in Asia, and the legal position for players is covered in Can I gamble in the Philippines?.
What happens next
The arrested foreigners were to undergo a criminal e-inquest on Monday, followed by an Immigration inquest that afternoon, with those criminally charged already identified, Casio said1. He said the group would be flown to Manila on a military transport plane once weather improved, most likely the following day1. The confiscation order for the compound and vehicles awaits Bersamin's signature1. The number of people held may change: it stood at about 150 when first reported and 169 as of Monday1.
