By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Department of the Interior and Local Government Western Visayas (DILG-6) has urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities in their area, especially those involving foreign nationals.
DILG-6 Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero stated that there are no issues regarding the presence of foreign nationals in the region, as long as their activities are legitimate business operations.
“Let’s be observant. There is no problem with foreign nationals if they are genuinely engaged in legitimate business,” he said.
However, if there are unusual occurrences, such as an entire building being rented out to foreign nationals for a year, Ingeniero noted that the matter could be suspicious and should be reported to authorities.
As the Secretariat of the Peace and Order Council, Ingeniero said they have already issued a resolution to monitor the influx of foreign nationals in the region.
“That is what we can do under our mandate because they still have rights,” he added.
Ingeniero also confirmed that there are no monitored Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) operations in the region.
Ingeniero emphasized that monitoring efforts are ongoing as per the directives of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The Police Regional Office-6 has also confirmed that they have not monitored any POGO operations in the region, including illegal activities involving Chinese nationals in Iloilo City.
In response to the president’s call for a nationwide POGO ban during his third State of the Nation Address, the Iloilo City Council has recently adopted a resolution supporting the ban on POGOs.
“Iloilo City is committed to maintaining its status as a POGO-free city. The Local Government Unit shall ensure that no violations of the Revised Penal Code are committed under the guise of POGO operations,” the resolution read.
