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Forfeiture vs raided POGOs
By J.Lo
"So far, we have taken down eight POGOs… include hospitals that are operating without license... doctors we arrested, Vietnamese national, doctor, nurses and pharmacists have no license," Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said forfeiture cases await all seized items, properties and equipment from Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hubs raided by PAOCC.
Cruz, guest of Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum, said they would file for forfeiture of seized currencies, buildings, gadgets and other equipment once their inventory of evidence from 46 raided POGO buildings in Porac, Pampanga is finished.
"What is alarming here is that they practice medicine and treated even fugitives…they also have cosmetic surgeons… planted hair… can change physical looks of fugitives," he said.
Cruz said all raided POGO hubs are equipped with torture rooms, cubicles for prostitution and rooms for scamming activities.
"We confiscated thousands of pre-registered SIM cards…also bloodstains in rooms, indicate they were torturing people… fugitives have assumed names and drivers licenses and other IDs," he said.
Cruz said they confiscated 100 grams of suspected shabu.
One POGO worker and Chinese national told them he was tortured for failing to meet quota of P5 million to P8 million per day, Cruz said.
"Torture victim told us that they were beaten with baton and other torture equipment…they are not also allowed to use their cellphone, which will cost them P10,000 fine if caught," he said.
Cruz also said one of the Chinese nationals they arrested, identified as Wu Li Feng, turned out to be "enforcer of torture" among POGO's foreign and local workers.
"He was browsing his cellphone when we arrested him…he did not show any nervousness while we were questioning him and during his arrest…his cellphone contains photos of POGO workers that were tortured… photos even included mine, when we checked, we were informed that Wu Ling Feng's crimes include violent crimes…he appeared to be well trained in torture and he is vain…he was very relaxed during interrogation," Cruz said.
PAOCC has already spent about P35 million to P40 million since it started its campaign against illegal operations of POGOs nationwide, according to Cruz.
"We really want to put a stop to POGOs operations," he said.
Cruz said PAOCC expenditures do not only cover raids of hubs but also for deportation of foreign criminals working for POGO.
"We also need to protect our witnesses because they could easily be bought or killed," he said.
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) director Ricardo de Leon meanwhile said his agency is also validating all information, including angle that POGOs may have been China's "Trojan horse" referring to Greek mythology that led to fall of Troy.
"On Trojan horse, we continue to validate…we cannot say yet that they are capable," De Leon said.
Cruz said one of the equipment confiscated during POGO raid in Pasay City was communication equipment with foreign characters, experts said may have been used to directly communicate with China.
De Leon said this equipment, as well as other pieces of evidence, are being subjected to forensic examination.
"NICA is coordinating with our intelligence counterpart in other countries for experts to intervene," De Leon said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is too early to say if illegal POGO hub in Pampanga is involved in espionage.
PNP chief information officer Col. Jean Fajardo said investigators have yet to secure evidence that would show people inside raided compound were spying on the country's government facilities.
Fajardo said hundreds of computers, cellphones and gadgets seized from POGO hub have yet to be examined as police will still have to apply for warrant to examine computer data from court.
PAOCC also found what appeared to be military uniforms from People's Liberation Army, armed wing of Chinese Communist Party, during the raid. They also found Chinese military sergeant badge, handgun and several bullets.
Fajardo said Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is investigating if uniforms and those who wore them are indeed connected with Chinese military.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said presence of Chinese military uniforms may likely be used as props in these illicit online transactions. Limited number of PLA uniforms found suggests they are more indicative of use in deceptive activities rather than any preparation for invasion.
Meanwhile Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said that while not yet national security threat, POGO sites in the country are now national security concern.
"Concern is that we should stop these syndicated criminal activities operating out of our base, which weaken our financial standing, our country ratings… corrupt our society," he said in statement.
De Leon said it is up to policymakers whether to ban or to just regulate POGO operations in the country.
"We are calling on our policymakers to review POGO…are we gaining or losing the war because it is affecting the youth… policymakers are the ones making laws…we gather inputs which we provide to our leaders," De Leon said.
Speaker Martin Romualdez has expressed openness to existence of POGO in the country, but issued stern reminder that all Philippine laws must be strictly adhered to the letter.
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