The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) clarified its non-involvement in a recent raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Malate, distancing itself from reports linking the commission to the operation.
In a statement, PAOCC said it was neither consulted nor informed about the raid, which was led by the Philippine National Police-National Capital Region Police Office (PNP-NCRPO) and the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG).
“[PAOCC] was not part of the raid that was spearheaded by the PNP NCRPO and the PNP ACG. We were never consulted nor informed regarding this operation,” the statement read.
“We never release any foreign nationals caught in POGOs because all our operations are always properly coordinated with the DOJ IACAT (Department of Justice’s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) and the Bureau of Immigration,” it added.
The commission also took issue with descriptions of the raided site as the “Mother of All POGOs,” underscoring that it had no involvement in the investigation and would not issue further statements about the matter.
The Manila raid was led by the PNP-ACG, with support from the Manila Police District, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Saturday meanwhile denied receiving 69 foreign nationals for custody who were reportedly arrested by PNP in the Malate raid.
In a statement, BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said that at this time, the BI has not yet received official custody of these individuals.
It was reported that the foreign nationals arrested during the operation were released since the operatives failed to establish any legal holds on them.
The raiding operatives were requested for further investigation, and the alleged kidnapping victims found at the location retracted their statements, failing to uphold their affidavits claiming they were victims of kidnapping, according to a report by the PAOCC.
On the other hand, the BI declined to conduct inquest proceedings on foreign nationals due to a lack of coordination with both the BI and the Department of Justice.
‘Following established procedures and protocols, the BI awaits the necessary documentation from the PNP to initiate the formal turnover process, as has been previously communicated”, Viado said.
He said required documentation includes all available information related to the subjects’ identities, and the affidavit of arrest, detailing the circumstances of apprehension.
Foreign victims of human trafficking shall also be assessed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT).
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “PAOCC says uninformed, uninvolved in Malate POGO raid.”
