PAOCC rescues 35 foreigners kidnapped by Pogo

POGO WORKERS composite image from Inquirer file and stock photos

MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) rescued 34 Indonesian nationals and one Chinese individual from an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo), the agency said on Friday.

In a press conference, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the kidnapped foreign nationals were rescued with the help of the Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines after the agency received a distress message from an Indonesian national on Thursday afternoon.

The distress message led to the immediate arrest of a Chinese woman named Liu Meng, whom Casio said is a recognized figure in the Pogo sector in Parañaque City.

Also arrested were two other unidentified Chinese nationals and one Malaysian individual.

A total of 34 Indonesian nationals, allegedly held by Liu, were then rescued in a building in Baclaran, Pasay on Thursday evening.

“The 34 Indonesians said that they were all Pogo workers before. Then supposedly their contract was terminated last January 21, itong taon po na ito (this year),” Casio said.

“Then they already signified their intention to leave for Indonesia. But then their boss, Liu Meng, refused and took their passports. So this is a clear case of human trafficking,” he added.

Testimonies from the Indonesian victims revealed Meng even asked them for a punitive loan between P50,000 and P100,000 to secure their travel documents.

According to Casio, 13 of the victims expressed determination to pursue criminal complaints against Liu.

Another Chinese national kidnapped

Casio also said that a debriefing of the incident revealed that Liu’s group was also holding a Chinese national in a safehouse in a condominium in Parañaque City.

The victim, identified as Wang Ye Fu, was rescued Thursday evening in a separate operation. When he was found, Wang had visible torture marks.

Three other Chinese individuals were arrested from the same location Wang was rescued from.

Investigation revealed that Wang was kidnapped on February 12 in Pasay City.

In an interview during the press conference, Wang told reporters that he just got out of detention from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Parañaque City after being allegedly involved in a separate kidnapping case.

READ: Pagcor detects 276 illegal gambling sites, some linked to Pogo

When his case was settled and upon his release, Wang was tricked by one of the suspects who allegedly offered him a room to stay in only to be kidnapped and tortured.

“They were asking for money, asking [my] family and [my] friends for money, almost P2 million,” Wang added.

Seized cellphones belonging to the three kidnappers also revealed multiple videos of acts of torture not only against Wang but other foreign nationals.

Casio said the PAOCC is still investigating the videos, adding that it is still in the middle of further interrogating victims.