CRACKDOWN Some of the more than 800 Pogo workers “rescued” from a complex run by a Chinese company in Bamban, Tarlac, await instructions from authorities on Wednesday. They include 497 foreigners, most of them Chinese. —PAOCC photo
MANILA, Philippines — Merlie Joy Castro, one of the alleged co-incorporators of Hongsheng Gaming Technology, came forward on Wednesday and denied her involvement in the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo).
At the Senate panel on women’s probe on the proliferation of illegal Pogos in the country, Castro said she was surprised to see in the news that her name is being dragged into the Pogo mess.
Panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros initially asked Castro why her name was listed as one of the 13 co-incorporators of Hongsheng, to which she replied that she had no idea.
“I don’t even know what Pogo is,” said Castro. To provide context, Castro was one of the individuals charged with a non-bailable qualified human trafficking charge along with suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.
READ: Hontiveros: Is ‘Alice Leal Guo’ a stolen identity?
More respondents
Other respondents in the complaint filed by authorities to the Department of Justice (DOJ) are Dennis Cunanan, Zhang Ruijin, Baoying Lin, Rachelle Joan Carreon, Huang Zhiyang, Thelma Laranan, Rowena Evangelista, Rita Yturralde, Yu Zheng Can, Jaimielyn Cruz, Roderick Paul Pujante, and Juan Miguel Alpas.
READ: Bamban Mayor Alice Guo charged with human trafficking
“I only learned that my name was included last Friday night. I was included in the list that will be submitted to the DOJ and I got so scared because I really had no idea how I got involved,” Castro recalled.
Hontiveros then pressed Castro to disclose why her name and signature is included in Hongsheng’s articles of incorporation, but Castro maintained that she did not voluntarily sign any paper further alleging that Hongsheng’s documents are fake.
Hongsheng is a Pogo hub in Tarlac. It supposedly changed its business name to Zun Yuan Technology Inc. after authorities first raided the facility in 2023.
Asked if Castro knew any of the other “co-incorporators” submitted to the DOJ, the accused answered on the affirmative side.
“Based on the list that I saw, I only knew Thelma Laranan, Rowena Evangelista, and Rita Yturralde,” said Castro.
According to her, all three of Laranan, Evangelista, and Ytullarde are vendors in the market.
Castro said Evangelista sells vegetables, Laranan earns money by selling breakfast meals, while Yturralde’s source of income is her “ihaw-ihaw” or grilling business.
What now?
But what would happen now that non-bailable charges against Castro and others were also raised to the DOJ?
Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Undersecretary Nicholas Ty said all Castro has to do is appear before the DOJ’s preliminary investigation and explain her side.
“They just need to tell their side. They should be able to prove that and hopefully they can convince the prosecutor not to include them in what will be brought to court,” said Ty.