The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recommended filing cases against resort owners who allow their facilities to be used for illegal activities.
According to Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, a raiding operation was conducted at an illegal gaming hub within a resort in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on Saturday.
In a statement, Tansingco said the raid serves as a warning to those planning to start illegal online gambling operations, which have been banned by President Bongbong Marcos. He added that the BI will continue to monitor resorts for potential illegal operations.
The operation was led by BI operatives, in coordination with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). During the raid, 100 foreigners were apprehended and subsequently arrested.
The raid was executed based on a mission order issued by Tansingco against 13 illegal aliens who were monitored for overstaying and working without permits at the resort.
According to BI’s investigation, the foreigners were involved in illegal online gaming operations and will undergo inquest proceedings and temporary detention before being deported back to their home countries.