Philippines Defense Secretary calls for relocation of online gaming operations

[The Buzz]

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has called for online gaming operations located close to military camps to be relocated on security concerns, saying he is worried that Chinese employees working in online casinos could be "tapped for intelligence gathering by their home country."

The government estimates that most of the about 138,000 employees of online casinos are Chinese and the businesses cater mainly to people from China.

From Bloomberg News:

“Knowing that Chinese companies are mandated by the Chinese government to assist in intel collection for their government, it is not far-fetched that individuals, likewise, could be compelled to do so,” Lorenzana said in a statement on Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said China’s ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua had sent him a message saying that if Chinese workers in the Philippines are accused of being spies, the same can be said of Filipino workers in China.

Lorenzana said the diplomat’s statement was “preposterous” and the two situations weren’t comparable. The gaming centers are very near military camps and naval bases, he said, adding that he believes that the Chinese workers are here as workers, not spies. Leechiu Property Consultants estimated in July that the sector employs about 345,000 people.

“What I am alarmed about is the potential that they could be tapped for info gathering purposes,” the defense chief added. “That is why I support the relocation of the centers to economic zones that are not proximate to military camps.”

Read more here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...rnd=markets-vp

[Cash Bonus]

Anything's possible in this scenario and this statement doesn't sound far fetched.