10 retired and active government officials may face charges from the House for being tied to POGOs, extra-judicial killings and illegal drugs.
The House of Representatives quad committee is set to recommend charges against 10 former and active government officials for their alleged involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), extrajudicial killings (EJKs), and illegal drugs.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the committee’s chairman, announced on December 10, 2024 that the recommendation will be part of the panel’s progress report, scheduled for approval on December 12.
“This will be included in the initial report of the quad comm. We have to finalize our recommendation on Thursday and present it before the plenary for the approval of the entire members of the House of Representatives,” Barbers said, as reported by the Philippine Star.
The quad committee is coordinating with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Office of the Ombudsman to pursue the charges.
“We will still conduct an investigation on the EJKs and drugs,” Barbers added.
The panel is also eyeing 15 to 20 pieces of remedial legislation to address the issues raised in its investigation. They are also calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the anti-POGO bill as urgent. Marcos Jr. earlier issued an executive order barring POGOs, formalizing a proclamation he made during his 3rd State of the Nation Address in early July.
“We want these pieces of legislation to be part of the legislative agenda of our President. We hope that it will be certified as urgent by the President so that our counterpart in the Senate will also act,” Barbers explained.
The quad committee was formed in August to investigate the links between POGOs, Chinese syndicates, illegal drugs, and EJKs during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Several high-profile figures, including former President Duterte, have been invited to testify before the committee.
He further explained that the progress report seeks to wrap up the investigations into POGOs, EJKs, and illegal drugs, enabling the committee to focus on other critical issues.
“Even after the Christmas break, when sessions resume, the quad-committee will press on with its investigations. The progress report reflects the ground we’ve covered so far on EJKs, drugs, and POGOs.
However, this doesn’t mean we are closing the door on these matters,” Barbers clarified.
According to him, the committee still needs to address additional issues before concluding its hearings.
“We need to submit it so that it will be approved in the committee before we can ask other agencies concerned to take cognizance of this report. For example, we have recommendations to the DOJ and the NBI. They have to act on it based on the committee report that was approved by the plenary,” he expounded.
“The action of the plenary is needed, so that it will become legitimate, it will become the sense of the majority of the members of the House,” he added.
The quad-committee includes four panels: the dangerous drugs committee, chaired by Barbers; the human rights committee, led by Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante; the public accounts committee, headed by Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano; and the public order and safety committee, chaired by Santa Rosa, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez.
Barbers emphasized that the four committees share overlapping concerns and issues.
“There seems to be a criminal organization operating within the country where drug money is being used to corrupt certain government officials in order to secure fake and spurious documents to misrepresent themselves as Filipinos to be able to acquire properties or lands in the country… where legitimate fronts of POGOs are being built,” Barbers explained.
Abante also defended his committee’s involvement in the quad-committee, as well as its focus on EJKs.
“Number one, there might be a quota system in the Philippine National Police… That means there is a reward system. That means if you kill a drug pusher, you get a reward. We would like to find out where the money is coming from, because we found out, that’s POGO money, that’s gambling money,” Abante revealed.
Read related article: DOJ Finds No Evidence Linking Duterte to Illegal POGOs
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