Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Philippine government has announced a downgrade of visas for Indonesian citizens suspected of working as online gambling operators (Offshore Gaming Operators) in the country.

Senior Superintendent Retno Prihawati, the Police Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Manila, said on Wednesday (23/10/2024) that the Philippine government’s action follows the discovery of an online gambling operation at the Tourist Garden Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Province, on 31 August 2024, which involved Indonesian workers.

"President Ferdinand Marcos has banned online gambling and has given operators from various countries until the end of December 2024 to leave the Philippines," she explained, as quoted by antaranews.com.

Attaché Retno clarified that the complete shutdown of the Philippines Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry affects 4,179 Indonesians employed in the online gambling sector, whether legally or illegally.

"This visa downgrade applies not only to Indonesians but also to all foreign citizens working in online gambling," she said..

Attaché Retno emphasized that the Indonesian National Police (INP)'s International Relations Division has been coordinating with the Philippines National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) to identify Indonesian nationals involved in these gambling operations.

"Many of our citizens are aware that they are working as online gambling operators in the Philippines," she remarked

(mg/inp/pr/nm)

https://www.antaranews.com/berita/4415869/atase-kbri-filipina-downgrade-visa-wn-indonesia