Gov’t eyes help of interpreters during Pogo hubs inspections

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MANILA, Philippines — To help strengthen its monitoring team, the state gaming firm is planning to deploy interpreters when inspecting offshore gaming hubs in the country.

The interpreters should be able to understand Bahasa and Chinese, according to Atty. Jessa Mariz Fernandez, assistant vice president of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (Pagcor) offshore gaming licensing department.

“Kung matatandaan po natin last hearing sinabi po ng ating witness na tuwing darating na po ‘yung Pagcor inspection team, they play songs or they show cartoons or other indications para i-warn sila,” Fernandez said during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

(If we remember the last hearing, our witness said that whenever the Pagcor inspection team comes, they play songs or they show cartoons or other indications to warn them.)

Senator Risa Hontiveros previously raised the possibility that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) linked to criminal activities may have cohorts within Pagcor.

A tipster from Pagcor, she said,  may have been relaying information to scammers before the government inspection team arrives.

READ: Hontiveros says Pogos could be in cahoots with Pagcor in committing crimes

“Nagpapatugtog sila ng Chinese song na alam na ng mga empleyado doon o scammers nila, para ‘yung kalahati nila ay magtago sa mga dorms nila na sarado raw ‘yung kurtina ng bintana tahimik at hindi sila magiingay,” Hontiveros said, citing one of the survivor’s testimony.

(They play a Chinese song that the employees there or their scammers already know, so that the other half of them can hide in their dorms with the window curtains closed quietly and they won’t make any noise.)

Pagcor, however, attributed its past failure to identify scam hubs to the lack of manpower. Thus, the proposal to employ interpreters.

“We also proposed to deploy interpreters because it’s possible po naguusap na pala sila or pinagbubulungan na pala ‘yung mga ating inspector pero hindi pa maintindihan because we don’t have manpower who can understand kung ano po ‘yun pinaguusapan ng mga foreigners na nandun,”  Fernandez said.

(We also proposed to deploy interpreters because it’s possible that they are already talking or whispering to each other about out inspector but our inspector could not understand them because we don’t have manpower who can understand what the foreigners there are talking about.)

She also cited other changes in their monitoring, even in the framework of offshore gaming operations.

Since scam hubs are using  computers, Pagcor’s monitoring team will employ more cybersecurity measures.

The inspectors will also be equipped with knowledge about cryptocurrencies, cybercrimes, and foreign languages, Fernandez further said.

“Kasi (Because) Ma’am that time, it’s just physical inspection…” she said, directing her statement to  Hontiveros.

Hontiveros is leading the probe into Pogo-related crimes as head of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality.

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