POGO WORKERS composite image from Inquirer file and stock photos
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) led the raid at a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) hub in Ermita, Manila last October 29, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) clarified on Sunday.
The NCRPO clarified the matter after the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) distanced itself from the raid. The PAOCC said it was not part of the raid, which it described as a “flawed” operation because foreign suspects were released.
In a statement, the NCRPO explained the operation conducted at the 40-story Century Peak Tower focused on “executing cyber warrants to counter cybercriminal activities.”
READ: Flawed, PAOCC says of Manila Pogo hub raid
It added that the raid was not an anti-human trafficking operation, which means the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking was not involved.
“The discovery of foreign nationals on-site was incidental to the primary objective. As such, the Bureau of Immigration bears no responsibility for any subsequent release of these individuals, as this falls solely under judicial procedures associated with cybercrime enforcement,” the NCRPO explained.
Based on reports, alleged employees of closed Pogo hubs worked at the Century Peak Tower.