Smuggled Bugatti Chiron owned by POGOs, says Gatchalian

The two smuggled Bugatti Chiron sports cars, earlier surrendered to the Bureau of Customs (BOC), were allegedly owned by owners and operators of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) firms,  according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

Gatchalian made the remarks on Friday as he renewed his call for the total ban of POGO operations in the Philippines. 

“’Yung nadiscover na dalawang Bugatti sa Alabang, ‘yung P170 million isa, ang information na nakuha ko mga POGO rin ‘yun eh,” the senator told reporters in a media briefing. 

(I received information that the two Bugatti sports cars in Alabang were owned by POGO.)

“Imagine mo nakabili sila ng sasakyan P170 million each at hindi nagbayad ng buwis. Zero tax ang binayad sa sasakyan. Ang punto ko lang, sangkot sa criminal activities ang POGO. Nag-rebrand sila, tawag nila ngayon internet gaming license, pero the same animal pa rin,” he said. 

(Imagine they bought cars for P170M each but did not pay taxes. My point is that POGOs are involved in criminal activities. They rebranded but they are the same animals.)

Gatchalian, chairperson of Senate ways and means committee, has been pushing for the termination of POGO operations in the country, saying its social costs outweigh the supposed economic benefits.

In July 2023, the senator transmitted a chairman’s report to Malacañang recommending the ban but the executive branch expressed worry over the possible job loss. 

“Ang feedback na nakuha ko is ang executive, kinakabahan sa job displacement…Ang kinakatakutan nila na mawawalan ng trabaho ‘to. Ang tinitingnan nila 60,000 kasama ‘yung indirect…’Yun ang kanilang agam-agam,” he said. 

(The feedback we received was the executive branch worries about job displacement. They fear that 60,000 Filipinos will be affected.)

“Ako ang ini-insist ko nandyan nga sila pero may mga smugglers ng sasakyan, may napupugutan ng ulo. Di tayo magiging tahimik na bansa hangga’t nandyan sila,” he added. 

(What I am saying is the country will not be peaceful with the presence of POGO. Smuggling, beheading, and other criminal activities will continue to proliferate.)

On Wednesday, Dermalog JV,  the service provider of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), said the two smuggled luxury cars were not registered under the online Land Transportation Management System (LTMS).

This developed after Senator Raffy Tulfo disclosed that the sports cars were registered with the LTO using fake documents from the BOC. 

The owner of the blue Bugatti Chiron luxury car surrendered the vehicle to the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) on Feb. 21 while the red Bugatti Chiron was previously surrendered by its owner to CIIS early this month after the BOC offered cash rewards to informants who can help locate the illegally imported luxury cars estimated to cost around $3 million each.—AOL, GMA Integrated News