Abalos: Cebu POGO hunt ongoing

CEBU, Philippines — Government agencies are also monitoring other areas of Cebu province for possible Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGO) operations, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said yesterday.

This was his reaction to former Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s statement during the continuation of the House of Representatives’ quad committee investigation of POGO operations and extra-judicial killings (EJK) in the country on the possible link between the proliferation of illegal POGOs here last week.

Osmeña said there are some multi-high rise buildings in the city of Cebu that as alleged by his unnamed source as owned by former Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino.

Osmeña also added that Dino is said to be closely associated with some of the people that may be associated with all these POGO activities.

“As far as this POGO is concerned, there are proper agencies investigating it,” Abalos told The Freeman in his trip to Cebu the other day.

“Now, it is also being investigated by the Senate, the PAOCTF. And inaano din naman siguro ng PNP yan,” he added.

Abalos earlier revealed to The Freeman the creation of a task force following the raid of a suspected POGO hub in Brgy. Agus, Lapu-Lapu City last August 31.

Abalos said, the investigation in Lapu-Lapu is still continuing.

The DILG secretary had been telling LGUs to monitor online scamming and illegal online games operations, even before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the total ban of POGOs in the country.

With this, LGUs are expected to continue to monitor any such operations in their localities.

“BIG BOSSES”

Meanwhile, Chinese businessman Zhao Shou Qi yesterday said denied knowing any POGO operation inside the Tourist Garden Hotel that was raided by the National Bureau of Investigation last Aug. 31.

Zhao and son Zhao Long were identified as the “big bosses” of that POGO hub in Lapu-Lapu City.

During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality yesterday, however, he said he has no knowledge about its operation.

He said he merely only rented out three rooms for P1.5 million.

“I am actually not aware that they are doing this POGO business because what I do is that from July 20, I rented out three rooms that is a total of 290 square …. I was actually sick and never got down of my place or my bedroom and then I was just surprised that on July 31, they were looking for me and I was just wearing my sleeping clothes,” Zhao said.

Zhao, though, as identified as the owner of the Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga that was raided months back. Zhao and his son managed to evade capture and reestablished his POGO business in Cebu.

When Zhao was questioned if he had bribed any government officials, he denied it, saying he just sponsored activities by donating computers and by giving food, since he owns a restaurant.

The Lapu-Lapu City government is one recipient of the computers he referred to, as he gave several units between 2019 to 2020. — /RHM