The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will be filing charges against those involved in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Davao Del Norte.
Around 56 Chinese nationals, three Malaysians, and one Filipina will be facing charges for being involved in a suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Davao Del Norte. However, authorities are still evaluating the cases to decide on the exact charges to be pressed.
"May dalawang nagpapanggap na NBI agents para i-accommodate dito kung saan nila nakuha ang location (There were two people who pretended to be NBI agents to accommodate [someone] here, where they got the location)," NBI SEMRO director Atty. Archie Albao was quoted as saying in an article by ABS-CBN News.
Authorities started the operation after a Malaysian national, named Ruby Lim, was abducted and brought to Panabo City. NBI then located the warehouse and started a raid. Lim, however, has not been rescued from the operation.
The Filipino owner of the warehouse will also be investigated. The POGO operation, which was relocated from Luzon, is suspected of having ties to government officials.
City Mayor Jose Relampagos revealed that a group involved in illegal POGO operations had initially sought permission to build a warehouse for plastic products. Two months ago, the group made a courtesy call to the mayor's office under this pretense. However, recent arrests exposed the true nature of their activities.
"Nag-courtesy call na sila sa akoa after mga two months after pero ang ingon nila is magbuhat sila og warehouse sa mga balde ug plastic pero dili man diay maayo ilang gibuhat karon gidakop (They told me they were constructing a warehouse for plastic goods like buckets. But it turns out their activities were illegal, as shown by their arrest)," the mayor said, as reported by SunStar.
As regulatory scrutiny intensified on POGOs in Luzon, many workers in the industry sought alternative locations. The Visayas and Mindanao regions, with their relatively less stringent regulations, emerged as potential destinations.
A significant number of POGO workers, primarily Chinese nationals, relocated to these regions. They established new POGO operations, often in repurposed warehouses, office buildings, and residential spaces.
Read related article: NBI Cracks Down on Illegal POGO Hub in Davao del Norte
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