Manila, June 9 -- Over 100 foreign nationals, most of them Vietnamese, were deported in batches on the first week of June this year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Monday.

In a statement, the BI said 44 Vietnamese nationals were deported on June 3, 26 Vietnamese and 12 South Koreans on June 4, seven more Vietnamese on June 5, and 25 Vietnamese and one Malagasy on June 6, for a total of 115 deportees.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said all 115 deportees were placed on the bureau's blacklist, effectively barring them from returning to the Philippines.

Viado said many of the deported individuals were found residing or working in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) hubs that have been linked to various forms of org...