The Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered a preventive suspension of the Chief of Porac Municipal Police Station in Pampanga on Thursday, June 6.
In a press briefing, PNP Spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that the suspension was ordered to give way to the ongoing investigation into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) hub that was discovered in the town.
"Nag-order na po ang ating Chief PNP ng investigation, and in fact, this morning I was personally informed by the regional director of Police Regional Office 3 na ni-relieve na po yung chief of police po ng Porac Municipal Police Station about the pending investigation," Fajardo said.
Fajardo said they need to know why the police were unaware of the illegal POGO in their town given that its license to operate from Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation has expired since last year.
"How come this scam farm po na ito ay nagtutuloy tuloy pa po ng operation in the absence of a license to operate?" Fajardo said.
On Wednesday, the POGO hub was raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) under a search warrant issued by Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14.
The POGO hub was reportedly involved in various criminal activities such as human trafficking, sex trafficking, torture, kidnapping, and scamming.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the POGO hub was raided in 2022 when it was under Lucky South 99 Outsourcing and was ordered by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos to cease operations.
Meanwhile, in a report by RH Edniel Parrosa, PNP said Lucky South 99 could also be connected to the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac namely Zun Yuan Technology Inc.
Nadiskubreng ‘scam hub’ sa Pampanga, posibleng konektado sa ni-raid na POGO sa Tarlac — @pnppio | RH 52 @ednielparrosa, DZRH News#Breaktime#SamaSamaTayoPilipinohttps://t.co/hIKUU3dATX pic.twitter.com/tUlgUw2BgW
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) June 6, 2024
