Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian has expressed alarm over the unabated prevalence of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO)-related kidnappings in the country.
“The continued incidents of kidnapping linked to POGOs are very alarming. Bawal na nga ang POGO pero naglipana pa rin sila hanggang ngayon. Pati pangingidnap ng mga estudyante pinasok na rin!” he declared.
(POGOs are not even permitted anymore, but they remain rampant today. They are even into kidnapping students now!)
In a statement, the senator disclosed that he had discovered one case of child abduction reported over the weekend was tied to POGO operations, and recalled that a senior high school student had also gone missing after having left with their driver recently.
“Despite the President’s ban, POGO operations continue to infest our country, fueling crime and endangering our communities,” Gatchalian said. “This brazen lawlessness must be crushed with absolute force.”
He pushed for an “ironclad, no-mercy crackdown” to eliminate POGOs and protect Filipinos from operators’ illicit activities.
Earlier, the British School Manila in BGC, Taguig, released a statement regarding a senior high school student reported missing. Martin Van Der Linde, BSM Head of School, said the institution was coordinating with the student’s family and authorities for the investigation.
According to a report on Magandang Umaga Pilipinas, the 14-year-old victim was kidnapped on February 20 and released only after the ransom had been paid. Alias “Andy” suffered a severed finger from the ordeal.
As of the time of writing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has revealed that intelligence reports suggest a connection between the incident and POGO personalities and investigators are looking into patterns of in-fighting in Chinese syndicates.
