Graft raps filed vs Porac, Pampanga officials over Pogo mess

MANILA, Philippines —Graft charges were filed on Wednesday against Porac, Pampanga Mayor Jaime Capil, Vice Mayor Francis Tamayo and  other local officials in connection with the operations of an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) linked to criminal activities.

According to Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking lawyer Ramoncito Ocampo, other local officials named in the complaint were: Emerald Vital, who heads Porac’s Business Permit and Licensing Office; and councilors Rafael Canlapan, John Nuevy Venzon, Rohner Buan, Michelle Santos, Hilario Dimalanta, Essel Joy David, and Addrian Carreon.

All are accused of violating Sections 3(e), 3(f), and 3(j) of Republic Act 3019 or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”

“This was the result of a case build-up and coordinating conference with the DOJ (Department of Justice), Paocc, and the Philippine National Police – Crime Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG,) and kasama rin ang IACAT team,” Ocampo told reporters in a chance interview.

San Fernando Asst. City Prosecutor JT Leonardo Santos added that the case stemmed from a document showing that Lucky South 99 was granted a business permit from 2021 to 2023 despite lapses in the papers they sent for application.

“If you look at the application forms, they were blank but were still processed. And the primary purpose of Lucky South was outsourcing, not Pogo. So, it violated its primary and secondary purposes,” Santos pointed out in Filipino.

Asked why even the councilors and vice mayor were involved, Santos responded: “Ang tawag po doon ay neglect of duty (that is called neglect of duty).”