Marbil defends NCRPO, ACG over POGO raid

MANILA, Philippines — A day after the spokesman for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) branded as “flawed” a raid on a suspected Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Manila, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil defended the PNP units that spearheaded the operation.

Marbil commended the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) for their “successful” operation, which dismantled what he described as the “mother of all scam hubs” located in a 40-story building at the corner of Adriatico and Sta. Monica streets.

Sixty-nine foreigners were rounded up during the raid on Tuesday.

Marbil said the raid was conducted based on validated intelligence that the building had turned into a hub for POGO operations, harboring hundreds of people, including foreigners, involved in illegal activities.

“This operation is a testament to the dedication of our PNP-ACG personnel, whose relentless pursuit of justice has exposed and disrupted a hub of criminal activities linked to online scams, illegal gambling and human trafficking,” Marbil said in a statement.

The head of the 232,000-strong PNP emphasized the police force’s commitment to intensifying its campaign to eradicate POGOs within the next two months, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Investigation.

“We have two months to go to rid the country of POGOs,” Marbil pointed out.

He said the operation, which was conducted in coordination with the NCRPO, demonstrated the ACG’s expertise and commitment to effective law enforcement.

Marbil issued the statement after the PAOCC disowned the POGO raid.

PAOCC spokesman Winston John Casio condemned what he said were the NCRPO’s attempts to associate the commission with a “failed” operation.

Casio called on NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia to clear the PAOCC’s name from the “botched” raid, urging the two-star general “to man up and act as a true cavalier.”

The NCRPO did not mention the PAOCC when it released an official statement on the scam hub raid.

The ACG likewise did not mention the PAOCC, saying the operation was in collaboration with the NCRPO, Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

According to Casio, the operation was a failure as the arrested foreigners were released after the ACG and the NCRPO failed to secure a legal hold on them.

Casio said the PAOCC would never allow that to happen as they coordinate with the Department of Justice’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and the Bureau of Immigration.

Marbil, however, clarified that operations targeting cybercrimes are conducted exclusively by the PNP and the NBI as these agencies possess the specialized skills in addressing such offenses.

He vowed to file criminal cases against the people involved in the raided scam hub, including the facility’s owner, once the PNP completes the forensic analysis of the computers and other evidence seized during the operation.

“This operation not only exposes the vast reach of illegal POGOs, but also reinforces the unwavering resolve of law enforcement to neutralize criminal networks, uphold public safety and preserve the rule of law in every sector of cyber enforcement,” the PNP chief said.

The operation, Marbil said, was backed by Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna.