SENATE deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros yesterday said some government officials are allegedly acting as advisers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firms and telling them to supposedly masquerade as business processing outsourcing (BPO) centers to hide their continued operations beyond the deadline set by President Marcos Jr. to stop offshore gaming in the country by December.
Hontiveros said this is one of the many innovations that POGOs are using to skirt the ban ordered by the President.
“Sa ngayon definitely nandiyan pa rin. At masyado silang malikhain. Gumagawa ng paraan na mag-iba ng identity. Yung iba, nagkukunwari ng simple at legal na BPOs lamang sila. At ang sumbong pa sa amin ay mismong ilang mga opisyal (ng gobyerno) ang nagpapayo sa kanila na ganon ang kanilang gawin. Yung iba naman ay baka nagsusubok na ngayon na itago ang kanilang mga POGO operations (POGOs are definitely still here. They have become creative. They are coming up with ways to hide their identity. Others are pretending to be legal BPOs. And we have been told that some [government] officials are advising them to do that. Other POGOs are also trying to hide their operations through other means),” Hontiveros said at the Kapihan sa Senado media forum.
“May mga government officials pa na nagpapayo sa kanila ng ganon ‘ah magbago na lang kayo ng porma, at least legally, bilang mga simpleng BPOs lamang. Pero nakatago sa loob nun ay mga POGO operations pa rin (There are government officials who are advising them to change their form, at least legally, as legitimate BPOs. But inside [of these BPOs] are hidden POGO operations),” she also said.
Hontiveros did not name the government officials allegedly involved.
Hontiveros said Executive Order No. 74 issued by the President Marcos earlier this month, which imposes an immediate ban of POGOs and internet gaming in the country, has loopholes that need to be addressed.
Among the vague regulations, she said, is if POGOs are still allowed to operate in casinos, casino-resorts, and in special economic zones.
“Papayagan ba magpatuloy ang POGO doon dahil nagkakataong wala sila sa ilalim ng jurisdiction ng Pagcor (Will POGO operations still be allowed in those areas which are not under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation?)” she asked.
She said a number of senators have filed a proposed measure proposing a total and permanent ban POGOs, pointing out that an executive order can be revoked by a sitting president at any given time.
When asked if the supposed loopholes in EO No. 74 were meant to serve as a gray area so favored POGOs can still operate, Hontiveros said she hopes not.
“I hope walang pinaboran doon sa pag-draft ng EO dahil naaalala ko nung una kong tinanong bakit mukhang may loophole para sa mga tulad ng CEZA makalusot sa ban on POGOs. Nilinaw naman kaagad ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin na ‘ay hindi, kasama sila. In fact, meron kaming hiwalay pang issuance mula sa Office of the President o Office of the ES particular sa CEZA (I hope [EO 74] did not favor anyone when they drafted it because I remember, when I first asked the why were there seems to be loopholes since CEZA [Cagayan Economic Zone Authority] seems not included in the ban on POGOs, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin immediately clarified that it is included. In fact, we have a separate issuance from the Office of the President or from the Office of the ES [Executive Secretary] particularly for CEZA),” Hontiveros said.
“Pero it still stands to reason na merong gaps at merong mga malalabo pa doon sa current na formulation ng EO. Sana iwasto nila, linawin nila, whether doon sa aktuwal na EO or sa paglabas ng dagdag pang EO para wala talagang lusot yung mga POGO sa anumabg porma, sa anumang pangalan para sa kanilang patuloy na operasyon (But it still stands to reason that there are gaps and vague regulations in the current formulation of the EO. They should correct them, clarify them whether in the actual EO or in a new one which they will issue so that POGO cannot continue to operate in whatever form or name),” she said
POGO HEARING
Hontiveros said she has scheduled the final hearing on the issue of POGOs on Tuesday next week, which she said will be focused on information on the supposed presence of Chinese spies in the country as disclosed by She Zhijiang, who is jailed in Thailand for his company’s involvement in illegal gambling in Southeast Asian countries.
She said dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, aka Guo Hua Ping; Cassandra Li Ong, an incorporator of the POGO hub raided in Porac, Pampanga; and Tony Yang, brother of former economic adviser Michael Yang, will be among the resource persons who will be invited in the hearing.
She Zhijiang had alleged that Guo is a Chinese spy, an allegation that the dismissed mayor has denied.
Hontiveros said She’s exact whereabouts cannot be determined since he has been transferred to another detention facility in Thailand.
“May bagong impormasyon po tayong nakalap, lalo na sa pagkakaroon ng mga espiya ng Tsina dito sa Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng mga POGO (We have received new information that China has spies here in the Philippines through POGOs),” she said.
Hontiveros said her office has been in constant coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to help them locate She so he can be interviewed by senators.
Hontiveros said among the measures the Committee on Women, which she chairs, will come up on the POGO hearings is to include government help to the victims of the offshore gaming industry.
She said stricter measures should also be in place for the issuance of birth certificates especially to foreign-looking individuals.
EXTENDED RELIEF
Meanwhile, the PNP leadership yesterday said it has extended the administrative relief of the chiefs of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) in connection with the probe of a recent police raid at a scam hub in the city of Manila.
“One reason is that the investigation is not yet finished,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo on the extension of the relief of NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia and ACG director Maj. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga.
The two were administratively relieved from their post for a period of 10 days to give way to the investigation. Their relief was supposed to end last November 17, said Fajardo.
“When the initial 10-day administrative relief ended November 17, a new order was issued extending their relief for another five days,” Fajardo told a press briefing at Camp Crame.
“Since the investigation is not yet finished, the PNP leadership deemed it necessary to extend their administrative relief until Friday (today),” she said.
Fajardo said the PNP is hoping the investigation, being conducted by a PNP committee, will be completed today.
Fajardo said the extended relief of Hernia and Cariaga is not affecting the operation of NCRPO and ACG, noting that officers have been designated as officers-in-charge of the units during the absence of the NCRPO and ACG chiefs.
The investigation was in relation to the raid of the Vertex Technology Corporation, located at the 23rd floor of Century Peak Tower in Manila last October 29.
The operation led to the arrest of 69 foreigners — 34 Indonesians, 25 Chinese and 10 Malaysians. They were later released after the Bureau of Immigration refused to take legal custody of them.
Among the issues that are being look into was the alleged tampering of close circuit television cameras (CCTVs) during the operation.
The PNP team leader and three of his men who were allegedly involved in the tampering have been ordered relieved earlier and are already being investigated.
Initial investigation showed the policemen redirected the CCTV camera so it cannot catch policemen who have to take their shirts off due to heat inside the building.
The building’s air-conditioning system was turned off after the raid. Also, the building’s elevator was also shut down, forcing policemen to walk from the ground to the 23rd floor of the building.
There are also allegations of extortion against the policemen.
The PNP has said investigators will determine whether there were operational protocols that were violated or not followed.
Police said the police operation was legitimate, noting that it was covered by a search warrant issued by a Manila court. – With Victor Reyes
