PAOCC: Chinese uniforms ‘partially authentic’

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has described the Chinese military uniforms found at the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) firm in Porac, Pampanga as “partially authentic.”

“We’re still in the process of verifying them,” PAOCC executive director Gilberto DC Cruz told Senator Win Gatchalian during a Senate inquiry on Wednesday.

Cruz said they were coordinating with their international counterparts to authenticate the military uniforms.

“Upon translation from the Chinese characters, the emergency tags revealed blood types and names, reminiscent of the dog tags used during the Vietnam War to identify US soldiers,” Cruz said.

He said the uniforms may have been used to mislead POGO workers into believing the illegal hub was managed by a Chinese military official or police officer.

Cruz said the PAOCC’s initial findings suggested the POGO hub may have been run by a police officer from Xiamen who was retired or AWOL (absent without leave).

He stressed, however, that this was still awaiting confirmation.

“We suspect these uniforms could have been used by rogue elements among the foreign nationals employed at the POGO hub, or as props to intimidate their workers,” Cruz said.

Earlier this month, the PAOCC executed a search warrant at the 10-hectare POGO hub operated by South 99 Outsourcing Inc. in Porac, amid allegations of human trafficking, prostitution, and torture within the premises.