Chan says Chinese’s ID is fake: Zhao not a consultant

CEBU, Philippines — The identification card of alleged Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) boss Zhao Shouqui showing him as Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan’s consultant on Chinese business promotions is fake.

This is Chan’s reaction after it was reported that Zhao actually has an ID showing he is connected with the Lapu-Lapu City government.

Chan denied in putting Zhao in a position as his consultant, which he said has no record in the city.

“It’s easy to get an ID. It’s just only a plastic, sayon ra kaayo paghimo og ID. It’s fake,” he said.

“If you are a consultant, dili ka pa-ID. Only the employees of the city government. If you are hired as a consultant, it’s a contractual (agreement). So, wala gyuy ID nga i-issue. Only the…kontrata,” he said.

Chan also said that it is easy to replicate IDs, even the government-issued ones.

“In fact, atong nadunggan, atong i-connect sa kang Alice Guo nga gihimo, nahimo man gani to nila ang birth certificate, nahimo gani nila ang passport, how much more kung ang ID ang atong buhaton? Bisan kinsa siguro makahimo og ID. Pwede masunod, di ba?” he said.

 “We don’t have a record that we hired (him) as a consultant. As I said, we will not issue IDs if you are hired as consultant, only the employees of the local government in Lapu-Lapu,” the mayor said.

Chan said they might conduct an investigation regarding Zhao’s “fake” ID.

“Siguro, we will investigate nganong naa siya ana. Pero kung ang pangutana: Is he hired as a consultant? I said, ‘no’. There’s none. It’s false, di na tinuod, kay wala gyud tay gi-hire nga Chinese national diri as a consultant,” said Chan.

“Di man gyud na mapugngan og naay mga ingon ana nga mga foreigner na magpaduol nato…Posibleng gamiton as mao ni, ingon ani ko, para maimpluwensyahan ang uban na mga foreigner nga mao ni saligan ko, mao ni mao na, posibleng ingon ana,” he added.

Zhao, a Chinese, was one of 16 foreign nationals that the National Bureau of Investigation sued over the POGO hub in Tourist Garden Hotel Resort in Agus, Lapu-Lapu City that it raided exactly a week ago. He was tagged as the “boss” of the operation.

Interacted

It was also learned that he is the president of the Tourist Garden Hotel as well as the “Lapu-Lapu City Chinese Guild” and had in fact interacted with Chan a few times in the past.

 On Sept. 19, 2019, Chan expressed his gratitude in a social media post for Zhao's donation of 22 computer units for the city's e-Library, which benefitted students by providing them with internet access, Wi-Fi, and free printing services for their research and projects.

“Ato ni ibutang sa atong e-Library nga mapahimuslan sa mga students kung diin makagamit sila sa mga computer units with internet and wifi for researching purposes og pwede pod sila makabuhat og projects kay libre ra ang printing ug libreng 1st 10 bondpapers,” read Chan’s post.

On Feb. 13, 2020, Chan thanked the Lapu-Lapu City Chinese Guild for donating 18 computer units, which were then given to the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office and Pangan-an Elementary School on Olango Island.

On Nov. 28, 2020, Chan acknowledged the Tourist Garden Hotel, the Lapu-Lapu City Chinese Guild, and another business establishment for their donation of four solar panels and three computer units to local schools.

The mayor also attended the Spring Festival Gala Party for the Chinese New Year at the Tourist Garden Hotel on Jan. 22, 2020.

But according to Chan yesterday, he had interacted with various charitable institutions, not just with Zhao’s group.

“Wala na nato gi deny, they donated to us PPEs, they donated to us computers, they donated to us solar (panels), they are donors. So, wa may siguroy daotan kung mudawat ta og mga donasyon as long nga nakita nato they do business in Lapu-Lapu. In 2019, wala pa ta ma-mayor,” he said.

The mayor emphasized that the Chinese national's business, established in Lapu-Lapu City since 2019, has operated transparently and in accordance with local laws. The donations received have been scrutinized for any potential issues, but no discrepancies have been found.

Moreover, Chan reassured that as long as businesses and donors follow the law, their contributions and operations are seen as positive and beneficial to the community.

Chan, however, said that he can’t recall the exact year of his first encounter with Zhao, but emphasized that they have met when he was already the mayor of Lapu-Lapu City.

“So, siyempre the usual, all the tourism stakeholders will do courtesy call with the new elected mayor, because that time, mao nay akoang paglingkod isip mayor, pag ila-ila, sa nagpahigayon og negosyo niining lugara. So, tanang mga negosyante, they are welcome to come to my city, to my office, as long as you do legal business not illegal,” the mayor said.

Items recovered

Meanwhile following the second raid on Tourist Garden Hotel’s premises last Thursday, the NBI said that among the items recovered were 93 laptops, 216 mobile phones, 61 SIM cards, 18 desktop computers, eight routers, and four modems.

Additionally, 51 identification cards, 26 notebooks, a money counting machine, and a safety vault were also confiscated.

The operatives also seized P31,805, Indonesian rupiahs totaling 80,000, and 15,100 Myanmar kyats.

The NBI is still in the process of listing the items found in another room section of the raided building within Tourist Garden Hotel Resort, which has 10 structures.

“The examination will make sure that they will prove that there is a POGO operation here,” said Atty. Dominador Cimafranca, the assistant regional director of NBI-7.

The buildings and 12 vehicles are now the subject of an Asset Preservation Order under the management of the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

Aside from being a front for the POGO hub, the hotel is also being investigated hosting three cybercrime hubs functioning as illegal POGOs were also established within the Tourist Garden Hotel.

“Documentary and testimonial evidence prove that they were actively operating this kind of business,” said Atty. Rennan Oliva, NBI-7 regional director. (CEBU NEWS)