The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday vowed to probe allegations that some individuals behind Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs may have an influence on the country’s judicial system.
“The SC will investigate these,” spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said in a message to reporters.
Ting made the statement when sought for comment on Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s observation that the recent raid of a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga showed the possible influence of Chinese syndicates on the judiciary.
“My hunch is that the people behind the POGOs have insiders not just in law enforcement agencies, but even in the judiciary. We may notice that the last few warrants of arrest that came out were from Bulacan courts,” Gatchalian said.
“Perhaps the criminals know that operations will be held in the same area. They have gained eyes and ears in the court and they are tipped about what’s coming,” he added.
Gatchalian’s observation came after the raid only led to the arrest of 158 Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysian nationals.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Dr. Winston John Casio said they expected to arrest more than 1,000, but that information on the operation may have been leaked.
Operatives of PAOCC, the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group raided the POGO hub due to reports of scamming activities, torture, kidnapping, and sex trafficking.
