House quad-comm issues show cause orders to Pogo personalities

POGO COMPOUND Photo shows the compound supposed to have been used for Pogos in Porac, Pampanga. —Grig C. Montegrande

MANILA, Philippines — The quad-committee of the House of Representatives issued show cause orders on Friday to individuals linked to the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos), following their non-attendance to the hearing on the links of Pogos, illegal drug trade, and war on drugs.

“The quad-committee, composed of the Committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights, and public accounts, has been tasked with getting to the bottom of the complex and deeply entrenched criminal activities linked to Pogos, including the illegal drug trade, and the EJKs associated with the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign,” the quad-committee said in a statement.

READ: Pogo probe digs up how Duterte ‘encroached’ on Congress power

Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Paduano, chair of the House committee on public accounts motioned to issue the show cause orders. This was then approved by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who leads the quad-committee and the Committee on dangerous drugs.

Alberto Rodulfo De La Serna, was among the key figures who failed to attend the hearing on Friday. He is the “executive assistant” of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and a former male pageant contestant.

READ: Who is AR De La Serna, the man dragged into Harry Roque’s alleged POGO links?

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission recovered De La Serna’s appointment papers as Roque’s Executive Assistant III at the Lucky South 99 compound  in Porac, Pampanga. An affidavit of support from Roque declaring that he would be providing financial support to his assistant’s trip to Poland, Ukraine, and Italy in October 2023 was also retrieved.

Roque, who was absent from the hearing, cited an appearance before the Manila Regional Trial Court, as his reason. However, if his non-attendance at the court hearing would be proved, a show cause order will also be issued to him.

“The absence of key figures, including Dela Serna, alarmed committee members, leading to the issuance of show cause orders to compel their attendance and cooperation in the ongoing investigation,” the quad-committee added.

Further, show cause orders were also issued to more individuals:

• Bamban, Tarlac acting mayor Eraño Timbang and other officials
• officials such as Thelma Laranan and Yu Zheng Can from Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc.
• incorporators of Baofu Land Corporation, including Alice Guo and Bernard Chua
• president Julian Linsangan III and other figures from Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. and Lucky South 99 Corporation
• incorporators of Whirlwind Corporation such as Josefina Mascarenas and Duanren Wu
• incorporators of Biancham Holdings and Trading Inc., including Roque and others
• lawyer Gerald Y. Medina from Media, Flores Ofrin Law Office
• Ruperto Cruz, owner of a controversial property in Bamban, Tarlac
• Danny Corral, president and CEO of First Bataan Mariveles Holdings Corporation