The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Thursday expressed concern over the spread of contagious diseases among the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) workers in its custody, forcing the agency to suspend its operations against their illegal activities.
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz said at least 700 former POGO employees remain at their temporary detention center in Pasay City. A recent medical examination revealed 66 tested positive for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.
“‘Yang mga workers na po yan…’yung iba po diyan lalo na yung mga nahuli namin, pag pina-pacheck namin may mga sakit,” Cruz said in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
(Some of the arrested POGO workers we checked are sick.)
“Itong huling pina-check namin, 66 ang nagpositive sa sakit na HIV, syphilis at hepatitis. Mga nakakahawa po yan,” he added.
(In our latest testing, 66 tested positive for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis.)
During the last hearing of the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) on Monday, Cruz said more than 9,000 former POGO workers remain at large in the Philippines.
“Pakalat-kalat ang mga yan so hindi natin alam kung ano ang activities nila araw-araw. Baka imbis na ipagamot sila ay nagkakalat pa ng sakit,” said Cruz.
(They are at large and we don’t know their activities. They may be spreading diseases instead of seeking treatment.)
“Dapat talaga bigyan ito nang mabilis na action at kung kailangan ipa-deport agad, ipa-deport na kaysa makahawa sa mga kababayan natin,” he added.
(There should be immediate action against this and if they need to be deported, we should deport them so they would not infect our own citizens.)
Meanwhile, Cruz said PAOCC was forced to temporarily suspended its operations due to overcrowding in their detention facility.
“For almost two months, hindi na kami nag ooperate kasi unang-una, ang daming may sakit. Nagkaroon ng mini pandemic sa aming facility na nagkaroon ng lung infection dun,” he said.
(We did not operate for two months because a lot of them are sick. There was a mini pandemic of lung infections in the facility.)
“We needed to stop yung pagda dagdag ng tao at gamutin muna namin itong may mga sakit. So far medyo nakaka-recover na yung iba. Baka later, bumalik na kami sa dating operations namin,” he added.
(We needed to stop adding people and first focus on treating those who are ill. Some have recovered. Maybe later, we can resume our normal operations.) —RF, GMA Integrated News
