DOJ warns of potential rebound in small-scale Philippine scam operations

At a press briefing, Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty indicated that small-scale scam hubs could be re-emerging in the Philippines following a series of operations that freed more than 230 workers in Zamboanga Sibugay. He explained that the new clusters appear less extensive than earlier ones and are now dominated by Chinese nationals, whereas previous raids also uncovered Vietnamese, Indonesian, Myanmar, Nepalese and African individuals.

Ty suggested that the visa-free entry scheme for Chinese visitors may be exploited, with some offenders entering legally and then overstaying. The Department of Justice and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking are continuing to collect information and have not yet decided on any policy changes regarding the visa-free arrangement. Despite these concerns, the Philippines continues to hold a Tier 1 ranking in the U.S. State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons report.