Senate panel to inspect POGO hub
The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality will inspect a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pasay City following the discovery of an alleged sex den and human trafficking operations in the vicinity.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the committee, commended the Philippine National Police (PNP) for relieving the Pasay police chief and 26 other police officers for possible neglect of duty following the raid conducted by the Inter-agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) on October 27.
“I appreciate the PNP’S urgent action of relieving these officers from their posts. Lantarang pangto-torture at prostitusyon ang mga nangyayari sa isang napakalaking building, pero hindi nila alam? Imposible (The torture and prostitution has been happening inside that huge building, yet they do not know? That’s impossible),” Hontiveros said.
That is why, she said, the committee will inspect the building “to understand the scale of the problem.”
“We thank the Presidential Anti-organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), the IACAT, and the Pnpwomen and Children Protection Center for leading the raid that revealed the illegal activities in this POGO and for rescuing victimsurvivors of human trafficking,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros expressed fears that more policemen are under the control of the Chinese mafia.
“The (relieved) Pasay police officers were either negligent or complicit,” she said.
“This makes me wonder if there are other police stations across the country that are covering up for POGOS. Kaya hindi mahinto-hinto ang mga krimeng dala ng POGO sa bansa kasi baka may mga pulis na sadyang nagbubulag-bulagan (That’s why we cannot put a stop to these crimes that these POGOS have brought into the country because there may be cops who just opt to remain blind to these).”
But for the meantime, Hontiveros said the PNP must further investigate similar patterns in other areas where there are also suspected illegal POGO operations. “The police are supposed to enforce law and order, not sanction crime and chaos.”