Philippines Reports Sharp Drop in Kidnappings After POGO Ban
Kidnappings of Chinese nationals in the Philippines have fallen sharply since the government moved to close offshore gaming operations.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Philippine authorities and the Chinese embassy in Manila say the nationwide prohibition on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), following the POGO ban order announced in 2024, has coincided with a substantial drop in crimes against Chinese migrants and job-seekers since it took effect on January 1, 2025. According to figures cited by the Chinese embassy, reported abductions involving Chinese citizens have declined by roughly 50% since the ban, while fatalities tied to such incidents have fallen by about 80%. Authorities said the decline was evident in the first month after the shutdown.
The POGO sector – once a rapidly expanding part of the Philippines’ digital-gaming scene – had drawn sustained criticism from Beijing and Manila alike for its links to money laundering, online frauds such as “pig‑butchering” investment scams, and unregulated betting sites. Many of the victims were reportedly lured to the Philippines with promises of legitimate employment, only to find themselves coerced into criminal schemes.
Manila’s clampdown followed months of diplomatic pressure from Beijing and a series of high-profile incidents that exposed the porous regulatory environment around foreign-operated gaming hubs in Metro Manila, Pampanga and other areas. In response to the embassy’s figures, Philippine law-enforcement officials described the reductions as encouraging but cautioned that causation is complex and demands sustained policing and regulatory reform.
Cooperation Between Manila and Beijing Intensifies
Diplomatic engagement between the two governments has expanded since the ban. Chinese ambassador Jing Quan met with Benjamin Acorda Jr., executive director of the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), to review ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks and protect vulnerable migrants.
In an embassy release accompanying the meeting, Beijing said: "They agreed to further strengthen the mechanism for China-Philippines law enforcement cooperation, jointly combat transnational crime, and provide more solid safeguards for promoting normal personnel exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries." The statement credited Philippine police and immigration authorities for operational support and intelligence-sharing that have helped reduce victimisation of Chinese nationals.
PAOCC officials confirmed the meetings but noted that bilateral policing is only one part of a multifaceted response that also requires tougher licensing, financial oversight and safeguards for workers recruited from abroad.
Security analysts warn that while the statistics are welcome, they may reflect the immediate effect of shutting down physical hubs rather than the elimination of the criminal business models themselves. "Closing POGO facilities has removed a visible locus for abductions and forced labour, but many of these networks are resilient and will migrate online or to neighboring jurisdictions unless enforcement and financial controls remain tight," said Daniel Cruz, a Manila-based investigator who tracks transnational cybercrime.
The heightened cooperation follows other recent cross-border moves: in early January, Cambodian authorities handed over a businessman, Chen Zhi, to Chinese custody in a high-profile extradition tied to an alleged large-scale cryptocurrency fraud. Beijing has said it will pursue similar avenues to secure suspects who operate transnationally.
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Enforcement Challenges and Next Steps
Philippine regulators face the task of converting diplomatic momentum into durable policy. That will include enforcing anti-money-laundering rules, tightening labor protections for foreign workers, and improving local intelligence capabilities. Civil-society groups have urged Manila to provide clearer pathways for abused migrants to report crimes and to expand victim support services.
For Beijing, the ban has been presented as a protective measure for its citizens abroad and a diplomatic win. For Manila, the challenge will be to sustain pressure on organised-crime groups without creating enforcement vacuums that could be exploited by other illicit actors. Observers say the coming months will be a litmus test: whether the decline in kidnappings is sustained and whether broader reforms reduce the incentives that previously made the Philippines a magnet for illicit gaming operations.
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