POGO assets seized; 156 ordered deported

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) directed the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Thursday to freeze the assets of Lucky South 99 and other Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Porac, Pampanga.

The PAOCC likewise told both the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration to deport 156 foreign nationals apprehended in the raided POGO hub in Porac.

In a memorandum dated 20 June, PAOCC chairperson and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told AMLC Executive Director Matthew David to apply for a Freeze Order or a Provisional Asset Preservation Order from the appropriate court.

“The application shall cover all assets within the compound where Lucky South 99 Corp. is situated that are linked to unlawful activity as defined by RA 9160, as amended,” Bersamin told David in the memorandum.

Bersamin said the AMLC shall determine, based on the evidence, the specific assets that will be included in the application.

He said these assets may include, but will not be limited to, the entire compound of Lucky South 99 Corp. (46 buildings), and the vehicles parked within the vicinity of the compound.

Moreover, the PAOCC directed Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco to implement the swift deportation of 156 foreign nationals apprehended during the operation.

“The DoJ and BI are hereby directed to facilitate the summary deportation of the foreign nationals apprehended and subsequently transferred to the temporary detention facility in Pasay City, and blacklist said individuals to bar their re-entry into the Philippines subject to applicable laws, rules, and regulations,” Bersamin said in a separate letter.

The police found videos of people being abused inside the Lucky South 99 compound. In one footage, a male foreigner was seen being hit over and over in the head and body with a retractable baton. In another video, a man repeatedly struck the bare legs of a woman.

The PAOCC earlier said that Lucky South 99 Corp. did not have a license to operate. According to the PAOCC, 18 sets of Chinese military uniforms were found in the Porac POGO hub last Friday.