Xinchuang Network Technology said it has requested an investigation on reported PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and NCRPO rescue operation on Monday at the Hong Tai Compound in Las Piñas City.
The PNP on Friday maintained that its operation against the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in the said city was legitimate as it refuted claims of abuse and manhandling of workers rescued from the establishment.
More than 2,000 individuals including Filipinos and foreigners were rescued from the alleged illegal POGO operation.
In a letter to the PNP, Ananias Christian Vargas of Vargas Law Office, representing Xinchuang, said that the authorities held the victims for more than 72 hours and they failed to file any case which is a clear violation of their rights and is considered arbitrary detention.
Vargas also said that the foreign nationals signed documents without assistance from their lawyers, and added that they also received a report that eight foreign nationals were allegedly abused and assaulted by the authorities and three of them, all Chinese nationals, had major injuries on their bodies.
In a statement, PNP Public Information Office chief Police BGen. Redrico Maranan meanwhile said that the 2,714 workers earlier taken into custody during the operation would be released once they have completed their profiling work.
Maranan also denied that human rights violations were committed by the police when the operation was carried out and assured that the police force would conduct a full and impartial investigation into the said operation.
The PNP’s statement came after the legal representatives of Xinchuang Network Technology, demanded an investigation into alleged abuses
“As you may very well recall, in the late evening of 26 June 2023, 11:30 p.m. to be specific, the NCRPO Joint Police Task Force, led by Deputy Regional Director for Operations Brig. Gen Jack Wanky and Anti-Cybercrime Group Deputy for Operations Col. Villamor Tuliao implemented Search Warrant Nos. SW-LP23-007, SW-23-14 and SW-23-016, all dated 26 June 2023, issued by the Regional Trial Court of Las Piñas City, Office of the Executive Judge, which you conveniently couched as ‘Rescue Operation’ in Hong Tai Compound located at No. 501 Alabang-Zapote Road Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City, during which you and your Task Force control of the entire Hong Tai Compound, and even converted one of the structures as a command post,” Vargas said in the letter dated June 30.
Reports earlier said the PNP-ACG, backed up by several NCRPO uniformed personnel, conducted the operations.
The company also questioned the conduct of the operation the police described as anti-human trafficking-related.
Vargas also claimed that as of this time, the NCRPO has not allowed the persons in the compound to leave despite its inability to
file the necessary cases against these Filipino and foreign individuals.
He added that they also received reports that the police task force questioned these people without the assistance of a lawyer and forced
them to sign documents they could not understand.