Bamban POGO's location near military base a red flag, says Teodoro

MANILA, Philippines — Local authorities should have flagged the sprawling 10-hectare Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, Tarlac due to its proximity to a key military base, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said on Monday, September 30.

Teodoro noted that the Bamban POGO hub is located just two minutes by air from Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac, which houses the Philippine Army's armor division and its training and doctrine command. 

"It is curious that a 32-building complex was operating within two minutes flying time away from the TRADOC [Training and Doctrine Command] and the Light Armor Division," Teodoro said. "You know all the authorities should have been aware of this at that time, particularly the local authorities."

The 10-hectare POGO complex in Bamban that authorities raided in March on complaints of human trafficking is around 15-17 kilometers away from the army base by car, according to Google Maps.

At least 165 Chinese nationals who worked for the POGO called Zun Yuan Technology Inc. was deported in May following a high-profile raid. They were involved in "scamming activities," according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo is facing accusations of having business ties with Zun Yuan after a Senate inquiry found that she was a co-incorporator of a firm that leased its compound to the POGO hub. She is also facing money laundering charges in connection to Zun Yuan.

Allegations that Guo is a Chinese spy were revived in the House of Representatives last week after lawmakers confronted her with an Al Jazeera documentary where she was tagged as such by a self-confessed Chinese spy. 

Whether Guo is truly an undercover spy will have to be determined by authorities, Teodoro said, but added that her actions fit "a pattern of these kinds of activities throughout the Philippines," the defense chief said.  

Guo has repeatedly denied engaging in espionage and insists she is a Filipino.

"She falsified documents to pretend that she is a Filipino... and she was an active co-conspirator to a massive illegal criminal enterprise where all illegal activities have sprung from," Teodoro said. 

"Being a Chinese national and engaged in such kind of activities in this country it still damages this country whether or not it is espionage, right?" he added. 

During his speech at a forum on maritime security, Teodoro called on local officials to not be tempted by offers of cash from entities that seek to help "international criminal syndicates and their ilk have a foothold in this country."

It should be easy for local officials to identify suspicious business activities in their area, Teodoro added.

"They're not hiring Filipinos; you can tell if there are only foreigners inside... That’s a sign that something suspicious is happening," he said. "It’s hard not to notice, especially with 32 buildings—that’s huge."

Sen. Risa Hontiveros was the first to raise her suspicions that Guo was an "asset" that was "planted" in the Philippines to influence local politics. Hontiveros expressed her doubts based on Guo's unclear answers about her birth and educational background. 

In June, all 49 officers of the Bamban police station were relieved from their posts while being investigated for failing to report the criminal activities in the POGO facility.