The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) denied any involvement in the operation conducted on October 29 by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) at an alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Adriatico, Manila.
"Wala po kaming kinalaman diyan [sa operasyon ng pagsalakay sa POGO hub sa Maynila] sapagkat busyng-busy po kami doon sa aming sariling operasyon na successful doon sa Central One Bataan noong October 31," PAOCC Spokesperson Dr. Winston Casio said in an exclusive interview with DZRH's Special on Saturday, November 2.
"Hindi rin ho namin masabi ‘yan [kung legal ang POGO sa Maynila na ni-raid]. Sapagkat hindi naming trabaho ‘yon. Wala kaming sapat na impormasyon with regards to that particular POGO," he added.
According to Casio, PAOCC officials were occupied on October 29 as they were in Malolos to apply for a search warrant related to the POGO hub they raided in Bagac, Bataan on October 31.
He further stated that it is unfortunate that PAOCC is associated with issues arising from the recently conducted operation.
Furthermore, the foreign nationals arrested during the operation were released since the operatives failed to establish any legal holds on them.
The cases filed by the operatives were requested for further investigation, and the alleged kidnapping victims found at the location retracted their statements, failing to uphold their affidavits claiming they were victims of kidnapping.
Furthermore, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) allegedly declined to conduct inquest proceedings on foreign nationals due to a lack of coordination with both the BI and the Department of Justice.
"Nasa with order naman po ang mga dokumento ng mga foreign nationals na natagpuan," said Casio.
"Kaya po sa halip na makasuhan sila ng arbitrary detention at serious illegal detention, pinakawalan na po ng NCRPO at tyaka ng ACG ang kanilang mga nahuli dyan sa lugar," he added.
According to Casio, the NCRPO and ACG conducted the operation independently, noting that this is not the first instance of such an operation under the leadership of NCRPO Regional Director PMGEN Sidney Hernia.
Last year, a similar situation occurred in Las Piñas, where thousands of foreigners were found. Lawyers representing foreign and Filipino nationals filed habeas petitions, and all of them were released because the operation was deemed improper.
However, Casio clarified that any law enforcement agency can carry out its operations against POGOs, but they can consult with PAOCC before proceeding with their operations.
"But ang amin lang naman is mag-coordinate lang po saamin kung gagamitin nila ang aming pangalan sapagkat tutulungan din namin sila," Casio explained.
"Mayroon po kaming template na ginagamit and so far hindi pa naman po pumapalya ang template. Proper coordination lang po [at] tutulong po ang PAOCC," he added.
It is not necessary to inform the PAOCC about every operation. However, if law enforcement agencies want a smoother process, especially when foreign nationals are involved, they should coordinate in advance with the Bureau of Immigration and, if possible, with the Department of Justice-IACAT. This way, they will have a solid legal basis to support their actions.
Casio further stated that if the POGO raided in Manila was truly operating illegally, the workers could simply disperse and scatter. This would pose a greater problem for the PAOCC, as they would then have to locate them.
PAOCC cannot confirm at this time whether the raided POGO hub in Manila can be considered the "Mother of all POGO hubs," as there has not been a thorough investigation conducted on the matter.
However, Casio stated that this is not the first time the establishment has been raided.
