Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday welcomed the issuance of arrest orders against Harry Roque, Cassandra Ong, and others linked to the Porac Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub.
“That hub was one of the biggest scam compounds in the country. Human trafficking, kidnapping, torture, money laundering, and various other crimes were rampant. The accused must face the court,” she said.
Hontiveros called on Roque to return to the Philippines and face the charges, warning that his refusal would mean evading both an arrest order from Congress and a lawful court directive.
“Roque is a lawyer. He knows it is wrong to avoid the law,” Hontiveros said.
Aside from Roque, an arrest order was also issued against Duanren Wu, the godfather of Ong.
Hontiveros previously revealed in a Senate inquiry that Wu had connections to Li Duan Wang, a Chinese junket operator for 9Dynasty who attempted to acquire Filipino citizenship.
The senator expressed concern that these individuals appear to be part of an interconnected network involved in illegal activities.
“It is important to hold those proven guilty accountable. If not, they will simply re-emerge in a different form and continue preying on our fellow citizens,” he concluded.