Malacañang freezes assets of raided Pogo firm in Tarlac

GATHERING EVIDENCE Personnel of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group inspect one of the 36 buildings inside the sprawling 10-hectare compound in Bamban, Tarlac. Authorities raided the firm on March 13 due to alleged human trafficking and serious illegal detention involving over 800 workers, mostly foreigners. JUN A. MALIG

BAMBAN, TARLAC — Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Monday directed the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze and preserve the entire compound, including other assets, of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) that was raided here last month.

Bersamin also issued a memorandum directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to facilitate the “summary deportation” of the 499 foreign workers who were rescued during the raid on the premises of Zun Yuan Technology Inc. on March 13. The company’s 10-hectare compound has 36 multistory buildings.

READ: Pogos becoming more sinister

READ: A transition period for Pogo exit

The raid was based on two court-issued search warrants for alleged human trafficking and serious illegal detention of the Pogo workers, according to Winston Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

A total of 868 Pogo workers—371 Filipinos, 427 Chinese, 57 Vietnamese, eight Malaysians, three Taiwanese, two Indonesians and two Rwandans—were rescued from the operation carried out by the PAOCC and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The rescued workers were currently housed at the detention/holding center of the PAOCC headquarters in Pasay City, said Casio.

Bersamin’s freeze order also covered the 46 cars, five motorcycles, nine Pogo carts and heavy equipment found within the compound during the raid.

In an interview on Monday, Casio said Malolos Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 81 Judge Hermenegildo Dumlao II had ordered the opening of the 27 money vaults of the Pogo firm based at Baofu Compound in Anupul village here.

READ: House panel OKs 2 measures on Pogo ban

Recovered passports

But authorities failed to immediately open the vaults here on Monday, as there had been no power or water supply in the compound for about two weeks now, and grinders could not be used to cut the vault’s cover and locks.

Instead of grinders, an acetylene torch was used to cut and open the vaults.

As of 11:10 a.m., two vaults were opened inside the company’s administration building. The vaults contained documents, several Chinese passports and a few red envelopes.

Police Lt. Col. Jose Joey Arandia, head of the CIDG National Capital Region, said they would open all 27 vaults as ordered by the court.

In his memorandum, Bersamin said eight of the foreigners who would be charged with human trafficking and serious illegal detention were not covered by the deportation order.

Casio identified the eight foreigners as Wang Weili, Wuli Dong, Nung Ding Chang, Lang Xu Po and Shang Shi Cong, all Chinese nationals; Walter Wong Long, a Malaysian; and Ma The Phong and Huang Yue Hai, both Vietnamese nationals.

A Filipino identified as Maybeline Millo is among the suspects.

Casio said charges against the nine individuals were filed at the Malolos City RTC Branch 81 on March 15. INQ