MANILA, Philippines — Any individual or company who hides or employs “illegal aliens” after the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) shutdown in the country will face criminal charges, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday.

Those tagged as “illegal aliens” are foreign workers who previously worked for POGO hubs and refused to leave the country following the December 31 deadline.

In an advisory, the immigration bureau has warned the public about “giving comfort” to these aliens, saying that they will face legal charges for doing so.

“The Bureau will file appropriate criminal charges against any person who will conceal, harbor, employ, or give comfort to any alien not lawfully entitled to reside in the Philippines,” BI said.

The agency said the directive  is pursuant to Commonwealth Act No. 613, as amended, in relation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement banning all POGOs in the country and Executive No. 74 series of 2024.

Prior to the announcement the bureau has already announced that companies are also required to surrender any POGO workers still in the country and were warned that attempting to conceal them could lead to legal action by the BI for harboring illegal aliens.

Everyone is urged to report these illegal aliens to the agency for appropriate action, it said.

“The public is hereby encouraged to report any relevant information about illegal aliens in the country through our official social media accounts, email addresses, and hotlines,” it said.

BI earlier said that it is set to deport a total of 11,254 foreign nationals involved in POGO operations in the country.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that they are deporting individuals who either did not downgrade and leave the country by the deadline, or downgraded but still failed to depart.

Out of 33,863 POGO employees under PAGCOR, 24,779 downgraded their visas, and 22,609 left the country before the December 31 deadline, the BI said.