PAOCC MEETS WITH CHINA ENVOY ON FIGHT VS ILLEGAL POGOS

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has met with Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian regarding the ongoing government campaign against illegal offshore gambling in the Philippines.

The commission said its chairman, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, and Huang had a meeting on Monday, July 1, to discuss and explore ways to strengthen their partnership in the fight against transnational criminal activities.

"China expressed its appreciation for the recent actions taken by Philippine law enforcement authorities to counter illegal offshore gambling and to rescue several Chinese nationals," PAOCC said in a statement Tuesday.

"The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has been actively collaborating and maintaining open communication channels with their Philippine counterparts throughout this process," it added.

This mutual support, PAOCC said, demonstrates the commitment and determination of Manila and Beijing to halt the operations of transnational organized crimes.

"The strengthened cooperation between China and the Philippines sends a clear message to criminal syndicates operating across borders that their malicious activities will not be tolerated nor allowed to undermine the security and stability of these nations," it said.

"It also paves the way for the exchange of expertise, intelligence sharing, and collaborations, enabling the authorities on both sides to effectively disrupt and dismantle criminal networks," it added.

Last month, the Chinese Embassy in Manila appealed to the Philippine government to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) "to root out this social ill."

According to PAOCC, the renewed commitment signifies the proactive steps taken by both countries to protect their people and maintain law and order.

It said that both countries are well-positioned to overcome any challenges and ensure that justice prevails over criminal activities.

The Philippine government has been investigating the illegal POGO hubs operations in the country.

Authorities have launched a series of raids against POGO hubs, leading to the rescue of torture and kidnap victims and the discovery of equipment for alleged criminal activities.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PAOCC have recently warned about the likelihood that money coming from the illegal activities of some POGO firms may be used for the 2025 polls.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the operations of recently raided POGO hubs in the towns of Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga were interconnected.

At the POGO hub in Porac, police and the PAOCC found items used for torture, alleged Chinese military uniforms, and some devices used for cloning SIM cards and for sending out text blasts.

Meanwhile, six Chinese POGO workers from the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac were found to be fugitives facing charges in their country. The Chinese had warrants of arrest for fraud, operating gambling dens, and other crimes.

The Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality is currently investigating the links of suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo to the POGO activities in her town.

Recently, a Chinese who allegedly works as the manager of the Porac POGO hub was arrested during the implementation of a search warrant at a leisure park in the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

This article PAOCC meets with China envoy on fight vs illegal POGOs was originally published in GMA News Online.

2024-07-02T13:10:06Z dg43tfdfdgfd