Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 14) — Cybercrime activities, such as pornography and online scamming, were also conducted inside the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) complex in Las Piñas City that was raided by authorities last month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Friday.
Justice Usec. Nicholas Ty said the information was based on the preliminary findings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
\”Basta yung intel naman na binigay sa amin, galing sa PAGCOR ‘to, na may mga activities doon na hindi, walang kinalaman sa gambling, more on cybercrimes [ang] nagaganap doon,\” he said in a press briefing on Friday.
[Translation: Based on the intelligence given to us by PAGCOR, there were also activities there that are not related to gambling, more on cybercrime activities were also being done there.]
\”Preliminary pa lang yung intelligence na binigay sa amin ng PAGCOR, kasama sa cybercrime, may pornography na mga activities dun, at possible din dun yung scamming.\”
[Translation: It’s just preliminary intelligence from PAGCOR, but there were also pornographic activities and possible scamming.]
Over 2,000 workers, Filipino and foreign nationals, were rescued during the raid at the Xinchuang Network Technology Inc. complex last June 27.
The crackdown also led to the arrest of five Chinese nationals for alleged human trafficking. But Justice Secretary Remulla earlier ordered their release due to lack of evidence from the Philippine National Police.
The PNP has denied Remulla’s statement and insisted that the raid was coordinated with concerned agencies prior to the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
READ: Proper coordination done in POGO hub raid – PNP
The PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Friday said two minors were among the \”rescued\” victims. One of them is a 17-year-old Indonesian, while the other is a 17-year-old Malaysian.
According to the PNP-ACG, the minors are currently undergoing comprehensive processing under the care of a social worker from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and an interpreter.
“Our dedicated team is working closely with these professionals to ensure the immediate and appropriate care of these vulnerable individuals,” its statement read. “Their safety, well-being, and eventual reunification with their families, where possible, are our top priorities.”
The embattled POGO firm on Thursday filed a complaint against the PNP and the Bureau of Immigration for the continued detention of the five Chinese nationals despite a release order from the DOJ.
Meanwhile, the BI said it collected the passports and biometrics of more than 1,000 rescued workers from the POGO complex.
\”There’s another batch of nationals that we are still unable to get their biometrics,\” said BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval in a separate press briefing.
