‘POGO 17’ wants case info quashed

CEBU, Philippines — The Regional Trial Court Branch 73 in Lapu-Lapu City heard yesterday the “Motion to Quash” filed by two of the accused in connection with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) raid in the city last August 3.

The motion wanted that the court void the information filed for violation of Section 4), qualified by Section 6(c) and (0) of Republic Act No. 9208, as amended by Republic Act No. 10364 against Zhao Shou and Zhao Long.

Lawyers for the accused during the hearing cited that the court has no jurisdiction to try the case as they alleged that the arrest of their clients was illegal.

The lawyers of the two accused also said that the mission order issued by the Bureau of Immigration was turned into a warrant of arrest, which includes their clients.

Prosecutor Georg Joni M. Laurente of the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutors Office, though, said Branch 73 has jurisdiction to try the case and the arrests of all the 17 accused, including the Zhaos, were legal.

Regional Trial Court 73 Presiding Judge Ronald Tolentino has directed all the lawyers of the accused five days from yesterday should they also opt to file their own motion to quash.

 The hearing yesterday was also joined virtually by all the 17 accused and their respective counsel.

 The 17 (16 foreign nationals and one Filipino) were charged with seven counts of qualified trafficking in person in relation to the alleged illegal POGO operation in the city.

Laurente said that the arraignment of the 17 accused was deferred, which was supposed to happen yesterday, pending the court’s resolution of the motion to quash filed.

 To recall, on Aug. 31, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents conducted a simultaneous joint rescue operation together with IACAT-7 personnel composed of National Prosecution Service (NPS), Bureau of Immigration(BI), Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 personnel and also in closed coordination with Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), and Military Intelligence Group(MIG7), which resulted in the arrest of the 17 accused.

 The 16 individuals charged we Zhao, Shao Qi alias “Lao Fan”; Zhao, Long alias “Xiao Long”; Yang, Teng Da; Ke, Rong Mou alias “Jordan” “Lang Mao” “Yuki”; Ji, Hui alias “Xiao Xi”; Hu, Yonghong; Dai, Chun Lin; and Zhong, Donglin alias “Edison” “Xiao Hei”; Luo, Peng alias “Alang”; Ma, Yi; Shen, Wen Xia alias “Xi Xi”; Zhuang, Jian Guo alias “Wang Fang”; and Wen, Qi Zhen. All are Chinese nationals.

 Indonesian nationals Lona, Halim alias “Grace” and Joni alias “Gio”, and Myanmar national San, Thwe Thwe were also arrested, along with Filipino Zandrew Magdaluyo Cantarona, who was charged as an accessory to the offense.

 During the operation, it was discovered that the Tourist Hotel Garden Hotel was allegedly used as a POGO hub with the discovery of three cybercrime farm sites.

 The NBI operatives observed that most of the rescued victims were working on computers showing scantily clad women, which aroused suspicion that they were doing illegal activities such as "love scam", pornography through the internet, and investment fraud.

 On Sept. 4, two search warrants were obtained through the Office of the Presiding Executive Judge Joseph Stephen Ygnacio of Branch 67, Regional Trial Court of Lapu-Lapu City. That resulted to the seizure and confiscations of several computer systems, mobile phones, gadgets, SIM cards and script used in the scamming activities, cash proceeds, documents such as logbooks, official receipts, and other book of accounts pertaining to the illegal activities.

 The NBI raid stemmed from a referral letter from Hon. Mary Francis Manug-Daquipil, Mandaue City chief prosecutor, endorsing to the NBI two Indonesian nationals who were complainants for slight illegal detention pending inquest resolution against their Chinese employers.

 During the interview, the two, along with 40 others were found out to be victims of human trafficking and were working in POGO hubs controlled by their Chinese bosses and were part of the group who were able to elude arrest during a raid in Porac, Pampanga, Central Luzon.

 All other 168 foreign nationals, including the 17 accused, were under the custody of PAOCC at the National Capital Region. — RHM (CEBU NEWS)