Philippine town Mayor, 10 officials suspended over illegal POGO operations?

Jenny Ortiz October 10, 2024

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Philippine town Mayor, 10 officials suspended over illegal POGO operations?

The Philippines’ Office of the Ombudsman has issued a preventive suspension for 11 local officials in Porac, Pampanga, over their failure to address illegal activities at an unlicenced Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub, Lucky South 99. This decision follows a complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), highlighting gross neglect of duty by the officials.?

Those suspended include Porac Mayor Jaime Capil, Vice Mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo, and Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) Officer-in-Charge Emerald Vital. Additionally, eight members of the Sangguniang Bayan, including Rohner Buan and Rafael Canlapan, are implicated in the case. The suspension was ordered by Ombudsman Samuel Martirez in an 11-page directive, dated October 7, to prevent any tampering with evidence or witness manipulation.

Neglect of duty and permit violations

The case revolves around the continuous operation of Lucky South 99, which was issued business permits for 2021 to 2023 despite missing regulatory requirements and holding an expired Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) licence. Furthermore, the POGO hub lacked a business permit for 2024, raising concerns over the officials’ negligence.

According to the Ombudsman, the officials’ inaction allowed the gaming operator to continue its activities, which included human trafficking, torture, and scamming. The POGO was raided in June by law enforcement, revealing these serious crimes.?

Human trafficking and criminal activities

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), alongside the Philippine National Police (PNP), raided the Lucky South 99 facility on June 4, rescuing over 200 individuals, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysian nationals. The raid also uncovered potential burial sites within the compound, indicating further criminal activities linked to the gaming hub.?

The DILG’s complaint stressed that Capil had signed business permits despite the POGO’s PAGCOR licence expiring in October 2023. His failure to address reports of human trafficking, cybercrimes, and illegal detention within the hub further solidified the case of gross neglect.

Ombudsman’s preventive suspension

Martirez justified the suspension, stating that the officials’ actions — or lack thereof — presented strong evidence of guilt. The suspension aims to prevent any possible influence on witnesses or tampering with evidence while the investigation continues. Should the charges of gross neglect of duty be proven, the officials face dismissal from government service under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.?