Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 24) — Malacañang has ordered the start of summary deportation proceedings against all foreign nationals nabbed at a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pasay City, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).
The PAOCC on Thursday said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a memorandum directing the heads of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to process the deportation of all the 231 foreign workers of raided SA Rivendell Global Gaming, Inc.Earlier this month, authorities seized several items — including almost ₱7 million in cash and 24,000 pre-registered SIM — from Rivendell, which was found to be behind illegal activities such as love scams, illegal gambling, and cryptocurrency scams.“Marami kaming tutuluyan diyan. May mga taong kailangan talagang tuluyan ng charges [We want to sue more people there. There are people who really needed to be charged],” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in an afternoon briefing.READ: 27 Chinese nationals sued after Pasay POGO raid – DOJMeanwhile, the PAOCC said BI has already released a commitment order for the transfer of the 27 charged foreign nationals to the Pasay City Jail.It said that another eight “high-value” foreigners will be detained at the Immigration Detention Center.The PAOCC added that Bersamin also instructed the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze all assets of Rivendell.
Tracker teams out for ‘VIP’ escapee
According to the PAOCC, law enforcement agencies have dispatched tracker teams to locate escaped detainee Lin Guowei, who was reportedly among the 27 Chinese nationals charged.
The Immigration Bureau has also sent out a fugitive manhunt team to detain him.“Ang detail na sinabi sa’kin [The detail shared to me] that caught my attention is ‘VIP’ – meaning to say person of interest talaga, maybe one of the co-conspirators of the scams,” Remulla said.The DOJ chief said the probe is underway into Lin’s escape from custody and the individuals who permitted it. Remulla suspects that palm greasing may have come into play.“Hinuhuli natin mga tao but sometimes nangyayari na napapalusutan yung ganito,” he noted. “Pondo [is] running low, natetempt yung ibang nagbabantay siguro.
