The lead chair of the House of Representatives Quad Committee denounced the “well-funded and orchestrated troll campaign” allegedly bankrolled by illegal drug syndicates and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to undermine its ongoing investigation.
On Wednesday, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said the campaign was intended to discredit the mega-panel and intimidate witnesses who have exposed significant connections between illegal drugs, corruption, and POGOs.
“Trolls paid for with POGO and drug money continue [with their smear campaign] against committee members and witnesses,” Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in his opening statement during the committee’s 12th hearing.
Barbers, who also chairs the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, lamented attempts to tarnish the reputation of the Quad Comm, which he said was committed to uncovering the truth.
He pointed out how the Quad Comm has uncovered evidence linking the illegal drug trade to POGO operations, revealing how drug money is funneled through these gaming businesses.
“The money flow from this drug trade is being used to acquire landholdings, influence and corrupt government officials and employees who conspire with drug traders in offering protection and fake identities, that undermine the security of our country,” Barbers emphasized.
Also during Wednesday’s hearing, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) sought to expose the nexus between POGOs, drug syndicates and corporate fraud.
PDEA Deputy Director General Renato Gumban presented a matrix showing how transnational syndicates exploit legal loopholes and corporate structures to facilitate drug trafficking, money laundering, and questionable land deals involving foreign nationals.
Gumban traced the investigation’s origins to a joint operation on September 24, 2023, which led to the seizure of 560 kilograms of shabu valued at ₱3.6 billion in Mexico, Pampanga.
The operation, conducted by PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Customs, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency uncovered the drugs in a warehouse owned by Willie Ong, also known as Cai Qimeng.
Ong, an incorporator of Empire 999 Realty Inc., acquired the land on which the warehouse was built with alleged assistance from dismissed Mexico Mayor Teddy Tumang.
Empire 999 is a Pampanga-based POGO hub that the Quad Comm has included in its investigation for its alleged links to illegal drugs. Ralph Rirao
Further investigation revealed that Ong and Empire 999 Realty Inc. were part of a larger network of interconnected companies engaged in illicit activities.
Meanwhile, the Quad Comm ordered Tumang detained for supposedly lying and giving evasive answers to lawmakers.
Panel members were irked when the former mayor said he was unfamiliar with Ong and Aedy Yang, incorporators of Empire 999, before eventually admitting that he met them numerous times.
The grilling was cut short when Tumang said he felt sick and needed medical help.
Furthermore, Gumban also revealed that Senator Bong Go is a “close friend” of the drug personality Allan Lim.
PDEA’s deputy chief said Lim, who has many aliases and is an incorporator of Pharmally corporation which bagged a P11 billion government contract for COVID-19 pandemic supplies during the Duterte administration, also operates casino junkets.
Go quickly denied his alleged ties with Lim, saying he hates drugs as much as former President Rodrigo Duterte does.
“We hate drugs and we hate drug lords. That’s why it’s impossible for me to be close with any drug lords,” Go said.
