Two Chinese linked to Porac POGO prosecuted for human trafficking

In addition to trafficking, the two Chinese men are also charged with theft, grievous bodily harm, kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

MANILA, Philippines – The Presidential Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), in collaboration with civilians, has filed criminal complaints against two Chinese men linked to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga for various offenses including human trafficking and kidnapping.

On Tuesday, July 1, prosecutors at the Department of Justice received complaints filed by the PAOCC and unspecified plaintiffs against Qin Ren Gou, 37, from Hunan Province, China, and Jiang Shi Guang, 41, from Hebei Province. The two Chinese men face the following criminal complaints:

• Alleged violation of anti-trafficking law
• Theft with violence or intimidation of persons
• Serious physical injuries
• Kidnapping and serious illegal detention

The Chinese accused were linked to Lucky South 99, the controversial POGO “controlled” by the PAOCC and other Philippine authorities in early June. Workers at the POGO have alleged that they were victims of trafficking and torture. The two accused are currently in the custody of the PAOCC.

Justice Department prosecutors said they could not yet release the names of the civil plaintiffs, who are Chinese, for security reasons. The plaintiffs said they were tied to a bed frame, locked up for days and beaten.

Tangled Connections

The events in the controversial POGO in Porac, Pampanga, have attracted public attention due to the personalities involved and the corruption within the government.

Dennis Cunanan, a convicted pork barrel scammer, was reportedly hired by Lucky South 99 to manage its corporate communications and government relations division. The operation against Porac’s POGO also opened the debate over a possible leak within the government, as some foreigners were caught leaving even before the PAOCC reached the area to conduct a “welfare check.”

The latest complaints are the second round of lawsuits filed in connection with the POGOs. Last month, Philippine authorities also filed a trafficking complaint against Bamban, Tarlac City Mayor Alice Guo, Cunanan and 12 others in connection with their alleged ties to Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated. The POGO in question, located in Guo’s jurisdiction, was raided in March for alleged human trafficking.

Aside from his alleged ties to the illegal POGO, Guo is also in trouble because of his real identity and citizenship. During Senate investigations, lawmakers highlighted Guo’s questionable background. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros even raised the question of whether Guo was an “agent” planted by China to infiltrate local politics. The mayor also claimed during one of the public hearings that she did not remember basic details of his life.

The National Bureau of Investigation recently confirmed that the fingerprints of Guo and Guo Hua Ping, the Chinese woman suspected to be his real identity, matched. This is evidence against the local official, which could be used to prove that she may be Chinese and not Filipino. Rappler.com