ALMOST a month after the government prosecutors ordered the release of 173 foreign nationals who were arrested in a joint sting in Pasay City against the proliferation of illegal offshore gaming operations, the Department of Justice (DOJ) broke its silence and gave the reason why charges were junked.
In an inquest resolution, DOJ’s National Prosecution Service said that the operatives behind the December 23 raid barged into the wrong address and the wrong Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) for which all 173 foreigners were released.
The operation involved the Games and Amusement Board and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Legitimate Operation
Previously, GAB and CIDG insisted that the operation was legitimate and even presented four search warrants to search, seize, and examine computer data. The warrants were addressed to six individuals: Ryan Hao, Ely Chan, Ian Lim, Bao Ma, Raymond Tan, and Noe Ming, alleged owners and operators of Xing Yao Company, and other occupants in four floors of the HC Bay Hotel at Seascape Village, CCP Complex.
The warrants, issued by the Regional Trial Court National Capital Judicial Region, Office of the Executive Judge Racquelen Abary-Vasquez, were for alleged violation of Presidential Decree 1602 or “Prescribing Stiffer Penalties for Illegal Gambling” in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The inquest stated that the foreigners found working onsite were actually employees of Tri Technology Corporation, a POGO licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). The inquest said that the foreigners were not employees of Xing Yao Company or those named in the search warrants.
Denial and Confirmation
In an article which appeared in another online news portal (not in Opinyon), PNP-CIDG spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Marissa Bruno reportedly denied that there was no record on their end about an operation last December 23 in Pasay City.
To date, GAB has yet to issue any statement regarding what appears to be a legitimate operation that has gone wrong.
Interestingly, an official of the local police station which was prevented from entering the raided POGO hub, confirmed that there was really a joint operation that day.
Pasay City police chief Colonel Mario Mayames, said: “So, in short, there was a raid. It is legal because they were armed with a search warrant. The lead agency there is GAB and CIDG. Us local police, we were not able to go up because we were disallowed. They said we are not allowed so we stayed outside the building,” Mayames was quoted as saying in the report.
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