POGO Crackdown: PAOCC Charges Two Chinese Nationals with Human Trafficking and Other Crimes

The Philippine Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Tuesday filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) various criminal charges against two Chinese nationals in connection with their role in the illegal operations of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) site in Porac, Pampanga.

Qin Ren Gou, 37, and Jiang Shi Guang, 41, both from Hebei Province in China, are charged with multiple violations under several laws, including the Anti-Human Trafficking Law and various articles of the Revised Penal Code covering theft, serious physical injury and kidnapping.

The charges stem from a raid on the Lucky South 99 complex in Pampanga, where PAOCC agents uncovered disturbing evidence of illegal activities, including allegations that workers were brought to the POGO center by force or intimidation.

One particularly shocking incident involves a Chinese national who was allegedly tortured and locked in a room for several days, tied to a bed frame. Both Qin and Jiang are said to be involved in managing the Chinese nationals employed in the center under these coercive conditions.

Caloocan City Deputy Prosecutor Darwin Cañete stressed the need to protect the identity of the complainants, citing concerns that the defendants or their associates might try to intimidate or harm them, either through threats or by contacting relatives in China.

The PAOCC's latest legal action comes amid growing scrutiny of the POGO industry, particularly regarding its potential influence on the Philippine judicial and law enforcement systems.

The Office of the Supreme Court Administrator (OCA) is currently investigating allegations that illegal POGO operators have extended their influence within the judiciary.

This investigation follows PAOCC's statement that a trial court in Malolos, Bulacan, recently withdrew a search warrant on technical grounds, halting a planned raid on the same POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga.

The OCA is also investigating Senator Sherwin Gatchalian's allegation that POGOs may have insiders not only in law enforcement but also in the judiciary.