LIVE: Seventh House quadcom hearing on POGOs, illegal drug trade crimes

MANILA, Philippines — The Quad Committee of the House of Representatives, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs,Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts is continuing its joint inquiry into the connection of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and the illegal drug trade on Friday, September 27.

The mega-panel is led by Committee on Dangerous Drugs chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District) with fellow members Committee on Public Accounts chair Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano, Committee on Public Order and Safety chair Dan Fernandez, and Committee on Human Rights chair Bienvenido Abante.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez and Committee on Transportation chair Romeo Acop are also included in the panel.

Last week, the mega-panel quizzed dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo who appeared in the hearing for the first time. The panel cited her in contempt for her evasive answers to questions thrown at her.
 
Cassandra Li Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corp. that leased land to raided POGO hub Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga, and the girlfriend of Guo’s brother, Wesley, was cited in contempt anew. She was also ordered to be detained to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW).

During the sixth hearing, Alice’s suspected lover Sual, Pangasinan Mayor Liseldo Calugay and former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog also attended. Mabilog claimed that it was President Rodrigo Duterte who added his name to the narco list despite his efforts to combat illegal drugs in his hometown and divulged why he sought exile in the United States.

The Quad Com lead chair Barbers also gave a recap of the previous hearings, saying they were able to establish that POGOs in the country were engaged in money laundering, human and drug trafficking, and gruesome crimes such as murder, kidnapping and torture. 

The panel also said illegal POGO operations were used to cover and clean the drug money that are also used to buy influence and corrupt the government system as evidenced by Chinese nationals obtaining fake Filipino identities.

The Quad Com is now working on the following proposed legislation to prevent the crimes from recurring: the adaptation to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, amendment to the Special Investors Resident Visa Program, amendment to the Philippine Retirement Authority's power to approve retirement visas to foreigners, amendments to the Anti-Dummy Law, amendment or review of the New Passport Act, and revision of PD No. 651 on late registration of birth.

Watch the hearing live on Sept. 27, 2024.