DOJ to probe Bamban officials over raided POGO hub

The Department of Justice will look into the possible criminal liability of local officials in Bamban, Tarlac, in connection with the operations of a raided scam hub in the municipality.

Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has created a task force to investigate the local officials of Bamban for possible administrative offenses.

“So kami naman dito handa na kaming mag-umpisa ng imbestigasyon na kriminal sa posibleng liability, posibleng pananagot ng mga local officials sa Bamban, at kasama si mayor doon,” Ty said in a press briefing.

(So for us, we are ready to launch an investigation on the possible criminal liability of the local officials of Banban, including the mayor.)

In March, authorities rescued more than 800 Filipinos and foreign nationals at a large Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firm in Bamban after it was raided for alleged illegal activities that included crypto and love scams.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian alleged Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s possible involvement with the POGO hub, citing a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution indicating that Guo, who was then a private citizen, supposedly applied for the license to operate Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc.

Guo has denied involvement in the operations of the POGO hub.

“Dapat talaga masusing imbestigasyon ang gagawin natin at yun ang mangyayari no. So sa ngayon, hihintayin natin ang members ng task force. Inatasan na natin ang isang grupo ng mga piskal at mga pulis na imbestigahan ang liability ng local officials,” he said.

(It should be a thorough investigation and this is what will happen. Right now, we will wait for the members of the task force. We have tasked a group of prosecutors and police officers to look into the liability of local officials.)  — VBL, GMA Integrated News