The alleged “boss of all POGO bosses” in the country may potentially have ties to the Chinese Triad – one of China’s most notorious organized crime syndicates, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said Huang Zhiyang, who was reportedly identified by dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo as her mysterious benefactor who orchestrated her short-lived escape from the country, is currently in Hong Kong.
Huang is said to hold five different passports, including from China, Cyprus, Cambodia, Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
“That (link to Chinese Triad) is possible although I don’t have any concrete information. I just have information, but it’s not yet validated. That’s possible,” Gatchalian said in a media briefing on Thursday.
“From our information, his name surfaced in the activities that marred the escape, also in Malaysia, Indonesia, as well as Duanren Wu, an active personality in Guo’s escape and in her movements in Indonesia and Singapore,” the senator said.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Executive Director Gilbert Cruz earlier said they are now tracking down Wu, a former Chinese police officer whom he described as the “boss” of Guo and godfather of her associate, Cassandra Li Ong.
“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.
Wu is the top executive of Whirlwind Corporation – the firm that leased land to the Lucky South 99 POGO hub raided in Porac, Pampanga.
Gatchalian added Jiang Zhe, another key player, was involved in booking hotels for Guo and her group in Malaysia and Singapore, further implicating Huang in the escape.
The senator urged law enforcement authorities to issue an immediate arrest warrant so that Interpol can restrict Huang’s movements.
Gatchalian also revealed that Huang’s name surfaced during raids in Fontana, Sun Valley in Clark, Pampanga; and in Baofu Land Development Inc. in Bamban, Tarlac.
Meanwhile, Cruz disclosed on Thursday that some individuals approached him to help Guo.
He said he felt sad because some of them were his friends.
“These people went to me and dropped hints that we should help Guo,” he said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier said her office received information that Guo paid a P200 million bribe to unnamed officials in exchange for allowing her to slip out of the country.
Former senator Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, said Guo sought intermediaries to relay to authorities her offer of up to P1 billion in exchange for making her legal problems disappear.
As this developed, Guo filed her counter-affidavit on the misrepresentation case lodged against her, beating the deadline set by the Commission on Elections.
Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said Guo’s lawyers submitted her counter-affidavit on Thursday afternoon.
“With or without a counter affidavit, it’s deemed submitted for resolution. By next week, the Law Department will make a recommendation to the en banc. Expect that the Comelec en banc will immediately act on the recommendation,” Garcia said.
The case against Guo stemmed from her alleged false claim in her voting records that she is a Filipino citizen, given evidence that she and the Chinese national Guo Hua Ping were one and the same.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Gatchalian links POGO ‘Big Boss’ to Chinese Triad”
