Inventory of items in Porac Pogo hub done; letter with Roque’s name found

RAID Members of a raiding team from various government offices, led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, swoop down on the Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub located inside a sprawling fenced complex in Porac town, Pampanga on June 4 and June 5 where at least 180 Filipino and foreign workers were rescued. -JUN A. MALIG

MANILA, Philippines —  The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has already finished its inventory of items discovered from the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub in Porac, Pampanga, where a document with former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s name was also found.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said they are scheduled to return the search warrant to the San Fernando Regional Trial Court and submit the list of evidence found in the complex on Tuesday.

READ: Suspected Chinese military medal, more gear found in Pampanga Pogo hub

“We are done with the inventory lahat ng seized items; we finished the inventory Saturday midnight. So tomorrow morning, we will return the warrant to the honorable court,” Casio told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview Monday.

He added that the commission and its task force will also meet on Tuesday afternoon to discuss what cases to file against Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for her alleged connection with illegal Pogo activities in her town and others found to be directly involved with the operation of Pogo hub in Pampanga.

‘Roque, assistant not persons of interest’

Regarding the document bearing Roque’s name, Casio said they did not find anything “criminally suspicious” about the document, even to the affidavit of support for the travel costs of the former presidential spokesperson’s executive assistant.

The letter and the affidavit, he said, were found with other folders stored inside the administration building of the Pogo complex.

“Unfair naman po kay Harry Roque kung sabihan namin ng kung ano ano, wala eh ‘yung dokumento napaka-harmless yung kugar lang saan sya natagpuan, bakit siya nandoon,” he added.

(It is unfair for Roque if we say anything out of speculations; the document is harmless, but the question is, why is it there?)

Casio also explained that Roque was the lawyer of Whirlwind Corporation, which leased the land to Lucky South 99, the biggest facility raided in Pampanga. PAOCC earlier revealed the facility has a reported total number of 46 buildings, including villas and other structures, as well as a golf course.

Besides Roque’s document, six sets of People’s Liberation Army uniforms were also found inside the facility, an “outstanding service medal” for a Chinese military sergeant, military pins, and two pairs of boots, among others.

Moreover, authorities also found identification cards of a foreigner bearing different names, among what they called “a good number of disturbing discoveries” from the compound.

About two weeks ago, PAOCC and joint operatives of the Philippine National Police units conducted the raid, resulting in the “apprehension” of over 190 individuals inside the Pogo complex along Friendship Highway, Angeles City.

READ: Pampanga Pogo linked to scams, trafficking; 186 rescued in raid 

PAOCC said its operation stemmed from a warrant issued by the Presiding Judge Maria Belinda Rama of Malolos Regional Trial Court, Branch 14, against officers and employees of Lucky South 99.

The warrant, on the other hand, was issued following a report PAOCC received from confidential informants detailing how a female foreigner was sexually trafficked in the area and male foreigners were tortured.