He is the top executive of Whirlwind Corporation – the firm that leased land to the Lucky South 99 POGO hub raided in Porac, Pampanga.
He is also the godfather of Cassandra Li Ong who helped her and dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo flee the country on July 17.
And in his past life, Duanren Wu was a former Chinese police officer.
Wu is a crucial piece in the matrix of illegal operations of POGO hubs in the Philippines that involve crimes such as human trafficking, scams and money-laundering.
“He was a simple police officer,” Ong told members of the House Quad Committee investigating illegal POGO operations.
“And I know he worked for a government agency and then later on resigned,” Wu’s goddaughter said in response to questioning by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Executive Director Gilbert Cruz said they are now tracking down Wu, who he described as Guo and Ong’s “boss.”
“That is who we’re after now. We are not the only ones interested in him, even the international authorities are interested in him because of his significant participation and involvement in money laundering, not just in our country but worldwide,” Cruz said.
Aside from Wu, former Lucky South 99 president Zhang Jie reportedly booked the hotel for Guo and her associates in Batam, Indonesia.
At the Senate, Senator Risa Hontiveros raised the possibility that an Immigration official linked to the controversial “Pastillas” extortion scheme may have helped Guo escape the country.
Hontiveros noted that Vincent Bryan Allas, the acting chief of the BI Control and Intelligence Unit (BICU), was found by the Office of the Ombudsman “administratively liable for grave misconduct” over the so-called “Pastillas” extortion scheme.
“How did he end up being appointed as the head of BICU?” Hontiveros asked BI Intelligence Division chief Fortunato Manahan Jr.
“Of all the Filipinos who can take on the responsibilities of the Bureau of Immigration and its sensitive components like BICU, it’s surprising that the person in charge of our borders is someone accused of corruption. Couldn’t the BI have done better?” the senator added.
BICU is in charge of conducting intelligence and counterintelligence operations to strengthen the capabilities of international ports of entry and exit.
Hontiveros said in the context of Guo’s escape, the circumstances surrounding Allas’ designation were “very, very strange and unacceptable situations.”
Senator JV Ejercito added: “We had many similar cases of escape in the past that it is already embarrassing. We want to find out those involved or those who were instrumental in her escape, especially those government officials if ever, so they can be charged accordingly. We want to bring to justice not only the sisters but also those who aided them.”
Earlier, the President said the government will hold accountable anyone implicated in aiding Guo escape the country.
“All of those who are implicated in assisting Alice Guo to leave the Philippines illegally as a fugitive from justice will certainly pay the price. You’re asking who will be booted out? It’s not just that we’ll kick them out. We’re also going to file charges against them because what they did is against the law and goes against all the interests of the Philippine judicial system,” Mr. Marcos said.
The President said he already has a “very, very good idea” as to who should be held responsible, including those from the Bureau of Immigration.
Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla said some “Immigration people” must be held accountable for Guo’s escape.
Remulla criticized Immigration chief Norman Tansingco for allegedly not informing the Justice department about Guo’s escape.
“That is why we no longer talk. It was wrong of him not to inform the DOJ secretary of developments in his agency,” Remulla said.
During a recent Senate hearing, Tansingco admitted they were alerted by the PNP – Intel Group of Guo’s flight as early as August 15, but they only informed the DOJ and the Office of the Executive Secretary about the information five days later on August 20.
“We got the confirmations (only) on 19th in the morning up to the 20th when all the information we got (was) validated already,” Tansingco said.
“We endorsed it to the Office of Executive Secretary and DOJ in the morning of August 20,” he said, adding that the bureau already had by then “confirmation and validation of the information that (was) coming in, considering that there (was) conflicting information.”
