China urges PH gov’t to order crackdown on illegal recruitment of Chinese nationals in gambling sites
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 8) — The Chinese Embassy has urged the Philippine government to investigate and put a stop to the illegal employment of Chinese nationals in Philippine gambling sites such as casinos and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).
This after Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) Vice President Jose Tria said Chinese nationals working for POGOs will be confined to "self-contained" communities or hubs to minimize interaction with Filipinos.
“The Chinese Embassy expresses its grave concern over such potential move by PAGCOR, which may infringe on the basic legal rights of the Chinese citizens concerned, and strongly urges the Philippine government to effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens in the Philippines,” said the Chinese Embassy Spokesperson on Thursday.
The Philippine gambling industry illegally recruits Chinese citizens and are their “primary customers,” the Embassy said, by failing to issue legal work permits and hiring those who have only tourist visas.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador said China must file a formal complaint for the government to address “perceived abuse” in the gambling industry.
“My suggestion to them is to file a formal complaint so that this particular concern will be raised in the appropriate agencies of the government so we can properly respond,” Panelo told the press.
However, he assured that the government will not tolerate any abuse of rights of foreign workers in the country.
“We will not allow any abuse of any foreign visitor or worker in this country from our own countrymen,” he added.
Government data also shows there are thousands of illegally recruited Chinese workers, most of which are with the POGOs. These operators are also seen to dominate office spaces in the country by year-end.
This practice has continued to undermine China’s financial security, has added to the country’s crimes and social problems” as well as subjected its citizens to “modern slavery,” China said.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it has collected ₱186 million in withholding taxes from POGOs since June, and is set to get ₱170 million more this month.
In a statement, the BIR said it has sent notices to 48 POGOs directing them to pay the withholding taxes of their foreign employees, 22 of which either replied or protested the tax assessments.
The BIR has collected only ₱175 million in taxes from POGOS in the initial year of their operation in 2017. It added that POGOs have remitted taxes amounting to over ₱579 million in 2018 and ₱789 million in the first six months of 2019.
The agency said it is working with the Department of Labor and Employment to establish a database of foreign nationals working in the country to monitor them and ensure that they pay their taxes.
In April, Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution seeking to probe and regulate Chinese online gaming in the country. She cited that 130,000 Chinese workers from POGOs were unregistered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Out of 54 POGO licensees, only 15 are registered with the BIR for tax purposes, she added.
