Four more witnesses emerge vs raided POGO

MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed a supplemental complaint against suspended Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac after four more witnesses emerged to testify.

Guo and 13 others are facing human trafficking charges related to a raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Tarlac, where over 800 Filipinos and foreigners were rescued.

Four Filipino witnesses will testify that the raided POGO hub was involved in scamming activities, according to PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio.

The four witnesses will also testify how they were not allowed to leave the premises freely, he added.

“They were detained there. They were only given one day or one month to go out and that will be deducted from their pay,” Casio said.

Another Filipino respondent supposedly involved in the management of Zun Yuan Technology, Hongsheng, and Baofu Land Development will be added to the complaint, he noted.

The new respondent was exonerated by a prosecutor due to insufficient evidence, said Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking chairman and Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty.

Prosecutors and law enforcers have built up the case against the new respondent, who is allegedly involved in the recruitment of workers in the POGO hub.

Respondents have been given until Aug. 6 to submit their counter-affidavits.

Guo, who did not show up at yesterday’s hearing, and her co-accused were supposed to file their counter-affidavits.