Enrile warns those out to destroy Ceza: It’s created to prepare for war

NOW THAT THE BAN IS ON Chief Executive Katrina Ponce Enrile of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) is accompanied by her father, Ceza founder and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, as she tells the House committee on public order chaired by Sta Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez that her ecozone is not involved in the proliferation of illegal Pogos. —photo from the House of Representatives Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — Former Senate president and current Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile warned those seeking to destroy the Cagayan Economic Zone and Authority (Ceza) that doing so will be detrimental to the country, as it was created with a potential war in mind.

Enrile explained to the House of Representatives on Wednesday that Ceza may be an economic hub like other free port zones, but it serves an important role in case of a conflict—it was intentionally set-up in Santa Ana, Cagayan as no country is expected to attack the Philippines from the eastern side, where the Pacific Ocean sits.

According to Enrile, a potential war against the Philippines will likely start on the western front, where other countries are nearer. This means, he said, evacuating people on the eastern side and leaving investments for “naught”.

READ: Marcos: ‘All Pogos are banned!’

READ: No Pogos in Cagayan economic zone – Ceza chief

“The other day, I was in a meeting with the cabinet, and we were discussing a policy question about our security, and I asked […] if one month from now, we are faced with a situation where we have to go to war against any of our neighbors, can we raise an army to defend this country and safeguard the lives, property, and freedom of the Filipino people?” Enrile said.

READ: PAOCC confirms Pogos operating near Edca sites

Part of PH security

“Nobody answered the question. Ceza was not only an economic project, it’s a part of the security of this country, until today that is the norm. And I do not know why people want to destroy it. I created that upon the behest of the President then, they sent me around the country to find places in the country that can be developed economically, so that we can spread the risk of economic development in case of calamity or in case of a war,” he added.

READ: Pagcor says no licensed Pogo hubs next to Edca sites

Enrile, who authored Republic Act No. 7922 or the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, explained that he was directed by former president Fidel V. Ramos to check areas on the eastern side of the Philippines that can be considered economic zones so that the country will be ready for any eventuality.

“And we identified Casambalangan which is now Port Irene, we identified Guiuan (Eastern Samar), we identified Zamboanga, we identified Antique, we identified several others so that the economic development of the country is balanced and if something happens in one place, it will not affect the others,” he said.

“What are you doing today in this country, you’re branching all the development in the western part of the country, putting all the money of the people that are starving to pay their taxes, in a risky place in this country. In case of war, the western part, the western flank of this country will be vacated, all those investments will go to naught, and the people will starve to death. Can you imagine that?” he asked.

Enrile attended the joint hearing of the House committee on public order and safety and the committee on games and amusements about the alleged illegal activities surrounding Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).

No Pogos within Ceza

He accompanied his daughter, Ceza Administrator and chief executive officer Katrina Ponce Enrile, who clarified that there are no Pogos within their jurisdiction. Instead, the younger Enrile said that they have internet gaming (iGaming) operations within Ceza, but this differs from Pogos.

Administrator Enrile admitted that Pogos copied the system of Ceza’s iGaming, but it eventually transformed and deviated from the original concept.

Both the Senate and the House have been probing Pogos since early this year, after raids of Pogo hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga have revealed different crimes associated to the operation—from human trafficking, sexual abuses, torture, murder, and even possible money laundering.

Eventually, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared that all Pogos are banned, instructing Pagcor to wind up operations by the end of 2024.

Cagayan and Ceza meanwhile were dragged into the discussions of Pogos because the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) revealed last June 13 that some gaming hubs are operating near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) sites.

The Edca is an agreement between the Philippines and the United States, which facilitates defense cooperation between the two countries. There are currently nine Edca sites—with two located in Cagayan.

The Edca site in the Naval Base in Santa Ana, Cagayan, sits within the Ceza.

However, Pagcor later clarified that there are no Pogo hubs near Edca sites.