MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-nine foreigners were arrested in a raid on a “guerilla-type” Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in a private resort in Silang, Cavite on Wednesday, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (Paocc) announced.
According to PAOCC’s spot report, the operation stemmed from a tip from the owner of another resort nearby, leading to the apprehension of six Myanmar nationals and 23 Chinese nationals.
“May nagreport po sa amin. Ito ay pinadaan sa CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) Calabarzon at sinabi nga na may pinagdududahan silang isang resort doon sa Silang, Cavite,” PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz said in a Thursday interview on Radyo 630.
(There was a report sent to us. It was coursed through the CIDG Calabarzon and said they had suspicions with a resort in Silang, Cavite.)
“Ang duda nila ay mga dating mga Pogo workers na naghahanap po ng kanilang malilipatan para makapag-operate ng scamming activities,” Cruz added.
(Their hunch was that it was former Pogo workers looking for somewhere else to operate their scamming activities.)
Authorities confiscated gambling paraphernalia as well as computers said to have been used for illegal online gaming activities, the CIDG said in a separate report.
The foreigners were detained at the commission’s facility in Pasay City, awaiting documentation by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for their eventual deportation, Cruz added.
Further, the PAOCC executive said the resort was closed while investigation was ongoing.
“[M]alinaw naman na talagang hindi alam ng mga local government officials itong nangyaring ito talaga kasi [it’s been operating for] less than two months daw,” Cruz said.
(It’s clear that the local government officials were not aware of it because it’s supposedly been operating for less than two months.)
“Yung lugar naman, tagong-tagong talaga. Talagang kailangan dayuhin mo para mapuntahan mo. Hindi mo talaga ito makikita kung ikaw ay nandoon sa kalsada, sa main street. Kailangan pumasok ka,” he explained.
(The place really was difficult to reach. You’d really have to go through a challenge to get there. You wouldn’t be able to see it if you were on the road, the main street. You’d have to go in.)
The raid came days after the BI raided a company in Parañaque City and arrested around 400 foreigners for illegal activities similar to those done in Pogos.
READ: 400 foreigners conducting Pogo-like activities nabbed
The mission order against the foreigners at the private resort was issued by the BI.
READ: 80% of 400 Pogo hubs shut down; small-scale ops monitored
It was executed by the PAOCC, the Calabarzon field unit of the CIDG, the BI Fugitive Search Unit and the Cavite Provincial Police Office.
Cruz also extended appreciation for the concerned local government units (LGU) for coordinating with the authorities when the operation was discovered.
“Nagpapasalamat nga ako at ganyan yung nangyayari ngayon kasi ang nagsusumbong talaga yung mga local government officials natin… Nire-report nila yung presence nitong mga small-scale Pogos operation,” Cruz said.
(I’m thankful that what’s happening now is that local government officials are reporting to us… They report to us the presence of these small-scale Pogo operations.)
For its part, in the police unit’s statement, CIDG Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre encouraged the public to “report suspicious activities to aid in maintaining peace and order throughout the nation.”
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla previously warned LGUs to inspect their areas of responsibility for Pogos in a memorandum issued two days into the new year – which was also two days after the government deadline to shut down Pogos.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a ban on Pogos during his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) last July, giving them until Dec. 31 to shut down.
On Tuesday, PAOCC said Pogos attempting to skirt the ban resorted to “guerilla” operations.