JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday slammed the PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) for allegedly failing to coordinate with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) before conducting the June 27 raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) service provider in Las Piñas City.
In a press briefing at the DOJ, Remulla said the PNP-ACG held the raid despite the absence of specific acts or grounds that would justify its action. During the raid, 2,773 workers from Xinchuang Network Technology Inc. were rescued, composed of 1,534 Filipinos and 1,239 foreign workers from various countries in South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
The PNP had earlier said the raid was based on warrants to search, seize and examine computer data for violation of human trafficking and cybercrime laws.
“The DOJ and the PNP-ACG had earlier agreed that before any such operation can be mounted, there should be a case build-up first but it seems this was not followed in this case,” Remulla said.
“Basta raid lang, raid, ganon. Pumasok lang sila. Parang nangingisda (They just raided. They just entered the area. As if they were fishing),” he added.
He said the lack of coordination led to the release, pending further investigation, of the five Chinese suspects allegedly involved in human trafficking operations who were arrested in the raid.
“Manghuhuli pero walang kaso. Ano, magtatanim ka ng kaso? Hindi puwede sa DOJ. Hindi kami papayag diyan (Arresting people without cases. What, you will invent cases? The DOJ will never agree to that),” he said.
He stressed that coordination with the IACAT, of which the DOJ and the PNP are member agencies, and case build-up are needed to ensure that cases filed in court are airtight.
The five Chinese who were released underwent inquest proceedings at the DOJ last June 30. They were identified as Li Jiacheng, alias Li Jiachang; Xiao Liu, alias Xiao Lin; Yan Jiayong, alias Pan Wen Jie; Duan Haozhuan, and LP Hongkun, alias Li Yang.
They were apprehended after the police rescued the workers at Xinchuang’s self-contained hub on Alabang Zapote Road in Barangay Almanza Uno.
Remulla said around 1,000 of the rescued victims are still in the country, adding the department is processing the cancellation of the visas of the foreigners, while those working without visas have been deported.
The Filipino victims, he said, have returned home.
“This is the problem when people refuse to listen. We’ve told them that we should first coordinate before taking any action and now they want us to file a case even if the evidence is wanting. We will not do that,” Remulla said.
Asked if he has talked to PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., Remulla said he has yet to discuss the matter with the latter as he has just returned to work after undergoing a 10-day wellness leave and heart bypass surgery.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo claimed an “A1 source from Camp Crame” told him that members of the PNP-ACG are allegedly extorting money from the foreigners nabbed in the raid in exchange for their freedom.
“Hao shiao ‘yung raid. The intention was really to make money,” Tulfo said in a Senate press briefing, adding the asking price is P25,000 for a Chinese and P50,000 for a Vietnamese.
He accused police officers of negotiating a deal with the embassies of the rescued workers.
“Embassy people are there talking to our authorities who have processed these foreigners, and from the information I received, negotiations have taken place,” he said.
“The police called the embassy people even before the briefing, even before they called other law enforcement agencies who can help them in the investigation. They prioritized the embassies. Why? Because the embassy has money to give,” he said.
Tulfo also said some police officers are visiting POGO operators to extort money.
“Authorities are just using the raid on the POGO hub as a milking cow considering the numerous lapses and mishandling that happened. There are even discussions on how to lower the amount before the foreign nationals can be released from police custody,” he said.
In the same briefing, Tulfo said not all the rescued POGO workers were victims, adding some were actually involved in human trafficking.
He said the police should have looked into whether all the rescued workers were indeed victims of human trafficking.
“I cannot divulge it right now. But the foreigners are being asked for money before they can be released and repatriated,” he said, adding he will conduct a Senate investigation on the matter and find out who are liable.
“I’m going to conduct an investigation. I will call the Bureau of Immigration, Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp., all the agencies involved in this, the PNP, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Labor and Employment,” he said.
Tulfo also questioned if the PNP-ACG had conducted background checks on the Filipino directors of Xinchuang, whom he identified as Dianica Mensah, Oliver Ong, Divina Vidal, Dinalyn Vidal and Daisy Vidal.
He said he has filed a resolution to assess the effectiveness of PAGCOR in fulfilling its regulatory mandate, ensuring proper coordination with other agencies, and protecting the rights and welfare of POGO workers.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian denounced the Xinchuang Network Technology in Las Piñas for employing foreign fugitives after at least seven of them — four Chinese and three Taiwanese — were found working in the firm.
“This is yet another evidence that the POGO industry is deeply entrenched in criminal activities. Maliwanag na kahit lehitimong POGO ay sangkot din sa krimen (It is clear that even legitimate POGOs are also involved in crime),” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said this marks the second time in just two months that an accredited POGO service provider has been implicated in criminality.
Las May, CGC Technologies Inc., a POGO-accredited service provider operating in the raided Sunvalley Clark Hub Corporation in Pampanga, was found to have employed fugitives engaged in human trafficking and other forms of online scams.
“This proves that POGO industry players are merely using their licenses as a front while perpetrating various crimes in the country,” he said.
Last year, the Department of Finance said POGO-related crimes may result in the country losing from P16.7 billion to P26.2 billion in direct foreign investments.
“While POGOs are estimated to have contributed P53.1 billion to the Philippine economy in 2022, their continued operations may put our bilateral relations with China at risk,” the DOF said in a position paper submitted to the Senate committee on ways and means chaired by Gatchalian.
The DOF said data from the Anti-Money Laundering Council also showed that out of the P54 billion worth of POGO transactions from 2017 to 2019, 26 percent were deemed suspicious transactions.
The PNP yesterday said it wants “active participation” on inspections and monitoring conducted by Pagcor on POGOs so it can readily determine if an establishment has “problems,” especially on employing fugitives.
Brig. Gen. Sidney Hernia, chief of the PNP-ACG, said this was one of their recommendations to Pagcor after the latter solicited police insights as part of crafting new policies in the conduct of operations on POGOs.
Hernia has also instructed his men to closely coordinate with the Bureau of Immigration so they can have an updated list of fugitives from other countries who may have entered the Philippines.
“So, hopefully, we can institutionalize the presence of the PNP, especially the ACG in the monitoring and inspections of Pagcor on POGO hubs,” Hernia said during a press conference at Camp Crame. — With Raymond Africa
