The number of kidnappings in the Philippines involving Chinese citizens has fallen by 50% in the year since the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) industry was shut down, according to commentary from the Chinese embassy.
In a statement issued following a meeting between Ambassador Jing Quan and Executive Director of the Philippine Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Benjamin Acorda Jr, the ambassador stated that kidnapping cases had fallen by half and that the fatality rate in such cases had declined by 80% thanks to the joint efforts of both sides.
While POGO was not specifically mentioned, it is now just over one year since the industry was officially banned as of 1 January 2025. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr first announced the ban during his State of the Nation Address in mid-2024 following a series of raids on illegal POGO compounds in Pampanga and Tarlac and allegations they had been engaging in human trafficking and scam activities. Multiple kidnapping cases were linked to the POGO industry at that time.
In its latest statement, the embassy said it “expressed sincere gratitude for the strong support from the Philippines and expressed its willingness to further deepen law enforcement cooperation, resolutely combat all types of illegal activities and effectively safeguard the lives and property of people in both countries.”
It added that China and the Philippines exchanged in-depth views on recent cases of kidnapping, telecom fraud and drug trafficking.
“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 embassy said.
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