Guillermo Eleazar said it is important for law-enforcement bodies to keep a close watch on the lucrative industry.
“Para ’yung adverse consequences nitong presence ng mga napakaraming foreigners, lalo na ’yung mga casino-linked kidnapping cases, pati na rin ang pagtaas ng krimen, ay ating natututukan at hindi nito nao-overshadow ’yung advantages na nakikita natin sa pagpasok nitong mga POGOs,” said Eleazar, chief of police in Metro Manila said on radio DZMM on Saturday.
The country has seen a spike in the arrival of Chinese tourists and workers because of the so-called POGOs. But while the phenomenon has yielded benefits to the local economy, issues of Chinese citizens working illegally in the Philippines, kidnapping and prostitution have been pushed to the forefront.
Allegations of kidnappings orchestrated by Chinese loan syndicates have increased over the past 2 months, prompting police to study Mandarin in China to be able to communicate with Chinese citizens.