A former Quezon City representative is pushing for a moratorium on the hiring of Chinese workers for Philippine Online Gaming Operations (POGOs) in Quezon City.
Former solon and now Quezon City District 2 Councilor Winston ‘Winnie’ Castelo said that aside from opening the city to risks from the novel coronavirus, the rising number of Chinese POGO workers is also creating peace and order problems for the city.
“These Chinese nationals are the subject of complaints from many of our constituents.”
Castelo said complaints have been mounting against the rude behavior of Chinese POGO workers since online gaming operations were allowed in the city.
“It’s sad to note that these Chinese nationals are the subject of complaints from many of our constituents who had bad experiences with them,” Castelo said. Many of the complaints, he added, also indicate that they often willfully violate city ordinances.
He said that while POGOs help improve the local economy, he cannot allow the industry to grow at the expense of public safety. “Let’s suspend hiring in POGOs or there will be a breakdown in law and order,” he said.
Castelo’s pronouncements came amid reports of sex trafficking, rapes, kidnappings and other crimes in the POGO industry allegedly committed by Chinese nationals.
Prior to this, there were also reports which suggest that many Chinese POGO workers have criminal records in their places of origin. Hundreds of them were already sent by the Philippine government back to China.
Despite this, however, crimes involving Chinese nationals persist in the Philippines, Castelo added.