PRIVATE ROOM The raided Pogo building in Pasay City on Friday night has bedrooms and an “aquarium,” or viewing room where clients can select women prostitutes. (File photo dated October 29, 2023 by RICHARD A. REYES)
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on women will inspect a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub in Pasay City on Friday to find out the severity of the problem firsthand.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who heads the panel, will observe the operations in a facility at the corner of Williams and Harrison Streets.
“[This is for us] to understand the scale of the problem,” she explained.
Senator Risa Hontiveros (File photo from Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)
Philippine National Police (PNP) previously relieved Pasay City Police Director Colonel Froilan Uy, Pasay City Police substation 1 Commander Captain Criz Antonio Cataluña, and 25 other police personnel for possible neglect of duty.
The move comes after the October 27 Pogo hub raid headed by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Department of Justice.
Hontiveros expressed relief over PNP’s decision.
“Lantarang pangto-torture at prostitusyon ang mga nangyayari sa isang napakalaking building, pero hindi nila alam? Imposible!” said Hontiveros.
(Torture and prostitution are boldly happening in a huge building, but they don’t know? Impossible!)
“Paano nga ba nakalusot ito? The Pasay police officers were either negligent or complicit,” the senator suspected.
(How did it get through? Pasay police officers were either negligent or complicit.)
“Ang nakakabahala, baka matagal na silang nasa bulsa ng mga Chinese mafia,” the senator added.
(What is worrisome is that they may have been in the pockets of the Chinese mafias for a long time.)
Hontiveros said that the incident makes her wonder if “there are other police stations across the country” that are covering up for Pogos.
“Kaya hindi mahinto-hinto ang mga krimeng dala ng Pogo sa bansa, kasi baka may mga pulis na sadyang nagbubulag-bulagan,” she said.
(That’s why the crimes brought by Pogo in the country cannot be stopped because there may be policemen deliberately turning a blind eye.)
She likewise stressed PNP should look into “similar patterns” in Pasay and other places.
Senate Investigation
Apart from the ocular inspection, a public hearing will also be jointly held by Senate committee on women and committee on migrant workers on November 10.
It will be done at Smart Web Technology in Williams Street, Pasay City.
The investigation was prompted by Hontiveros’ privilege speech on November 21, 2022, and resolutions introduced by Senators Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian.
On Monday, Gatchalian filed a separate resolution pushing for an investigation into the possible involvement of an internet gaming licensee in several crimes.
The offenses are prostitution, human trafficking, torture, kidnapping for ransom, and online scams.
“It is obvious that organized criminal syndicates are already operating in our country, as evidenced by the human trafficking victims and even the torture chamber,” Gatchalian said in a text message.
“These syndicates have already corrupted our enforcers, enabling them to operate freely, even beside the police station,” the lawmaker pointed out.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (File photo from Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)
Gatchalian noted the PNP’s “statement to ban Pogos,” citing crimes relating to it.
“This is consistent with our committee report, which we plan to debate on this week,” said the senator.