Pogos behind trolls, House probers claim

MANILA, Philippines — The lead chair of the House quad committee expressed concerns about a “well-funded and orchestrated” troll campaign to discredit their ongoing inquiry into the links between the illegal drug trade and offshore gaming operations.

In his opening remarks during the megapanel’s hearing on Wednesday, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers scored illegal drug syndicates for allegedly funding online scam operations to undermine their investigation and intimidate their witnesses.

“It’s truly suspicious how there is so much money going around to fund trolls who are very obviously protecting the very people we are investigating here,” said Barbers, who chairs the committee on dangerous drugs.

READ: DILG: Some Pogos using ‘disguises’ to thwart ban

“They are trying to tarnish the image of the quad committee even though our only goal is to ferret out the truth,” said Barbers. “It’s why we encourage our fellow Filipinos to please come forward and give information if they could if they know something about the issues we are talking about.”

Since their inquiry began in August, the quad committee has been the target of what appears to be coordinated troll campaigns with targeted messaging calling them “huwadcomm” (fraudulent committee), with the individual members being maligned online.

Target of bullying

Barbers himself lately became the target of an online narrative that he was a “high value” drug lord after some influencers alluded to his relatives’ involvement in illegal drugs following a buy-bust operation in his province.

The posts also claimed that the rumors are not mere “kwentong barbero” or a colloquial term for barbershop talk—supposedly an allusion to Barbers’ surname.

But the issue actually goes beyond the committee, as troll farms seem to be going after House members who have raised concerns over the alleged mismanagement of the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President as well.

Also during Wednesday’s hearing, the quad committee cited in contempt the former mayor of Mexico, Pampanga, supposedly for lying about his ties to Philippine offshore gaming operations (Pogos).

Ex-mayor Teddy Tumang was also ordered detained at the House of Representatives’ detention facility after he supposedly lied about not knowing Aedy Ty Yang and Willy Ong, who were revealed to be the incorporators of realty firm Empire 999 which owned the Mexico, Pampanga, warehouse where more than P3 billion worth of shabu was discovered in 2023.

I know them not

Tumang is accused of “knowingly supporting the illegal acquisition of land” by Yang and Ong since 2016, said Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro.

During the hearing, the committee discovered that nine land titles in Mexico, Pampanga, were transferred to Empire 999 under suspicious circumstances, including one previously owned by Tumang’s brother, Alex Tumang.

Luistro noted that all transfers of tax declarations, at the very least, are usually known to local chief executives.

Tumang denied knowing Yang and Ong, but Abang Lingkod party list Rep. Joseph Paduano said he had undated pictures of the three of them traveling to Fujian, China.

“So you are lying, you are evasive,” Paduano said. “I am sorry to say, but your style is bulok (rotten),” Paduano said, noting that this is the second time that Tumang was cited in contempt by the lower chamber.

Tumang already served a contempt citation last November, when the committee on public accounts first investigated the Pampanga drug raid.