Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 11) —The police coordinated with concerned agencies ahead of the raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Las Piñas City in June, the national police spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“Prior sa implementation of search warrant, tayo ay dapat lahat ng police units magkakaroon ng coordination kasama ang ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan na tingin nila may kinalaman sa police operations,” said PBGen Red Maranan, chief public information officer.
[Translation: Prior to the implementation of the search warrant, all the police units need to coordinate with other government agencies who they believe are concerned with the operations.]
This was the PNP’s response to the remarks of Justice secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla and Senator Raffy Tulfo who accused the agency of committing irregularities during the raid.
Remulla said the PNP did not discuss the operation with the Department of Justice, resulting in poor case buid up against suspects.
The PNP, however, said it followed standard operating procedures. Apart from coordinating with the inter-agency council against trafficking, prosecutors were also present during the operation, it said.
“Naging transparent from the start sa naging implementation ng search warrant,” said another PNP spokesperson, PCol Jean Fajardo.
“Sumunod po ito sa legal na proseso. Nag-conduct po tayo surveillance, nagkaroon po ng case build-up in nearly a month,” she added.
[Translation: There was transparency from the start with the implementation of the search warrant. This followed a legal process. We conducted surveillance, there was case build-up for nearly a month.]
The police said the raid on Xinchuang Network Technologies was based on reports of human trafficking supposedly taking place in the POGO hub.
The police said it welcomed any probe by other branches of government, adding it will have a chance to air its side, including allegations of extortion.
“Magandang pagkakataon itong pag-iimbestiga para mailahad ng ACG (Anti-Cybercrime Group) yung kanilang side in detail. Magandang pagkakataon para mapakinggan ng ACG yung detalye ng allegations,” Maranan said.
[Translation: The investigation is a good opportunity for the ACG to present its side in detail. And a good opportunity for the ACG to hear the details of the allegations.]
However, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it was the ACG that led the operation and that the BI only provided assistance after the raid.
“Iba-iba naman din po yung mga procedures for each operation depending on the needs of the arresting agency. So for this particular incident, it’s solely the PNP that conducted the arrest,” said BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval.
[Translation: The procedures for each operation varies, depending on the needs of the arresting agency. So for this particular incident, it’s solely the PNP that conducted the arrest.]
Meanwhile, Xinchuang Technologies wants its workers released.
“I will be going to the site tomorrow (Wednesday) para sunduin itong mga limang foreigners, as well as the others na hindi naman nakakasuhan and who are still detained therein,” said lawyer Christian Vargas, who represents the POGO firm.
[Translation: I will be going to the site tomorrow to pick up the five foreigners, as well as the others who do not have cases yet and who are still detained therein.]
Remulla lambasted the PNP-ACG on Monday for allegedly failing to coordinate with other agencies and for pushing through with the raid despite lack of evidence.
