DoJ sees Bamban-Porac link

Now that Cassandra Li Ong has been repatriated to the Philippines, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has raised the possibility of a connection between the raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga.

This after Ong was arrested in Indonesia together with a sibling of dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said this connection between Alice Guo and Ong meant that the Bamban and Porac hubs were also connected.

He said that “despite all the denials of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, it appears that they’re really intimately related.”

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) agreed with the DoJ.

PAOCC spokesperson John Casio said they had long been saying that the two alleged scam farms were related and Cassandra Li Ong and Alice Leal Guo, or Guo Hua Ping, belonged to the same criminal organization.

Ong, who was linked to the Lucky South 99 gaming firm in Porac, and Sheila Guo are back in the Philippines after they were caught in Batam, Indonesia.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) earlier said it was Ong who was accompanied by Roque in July 2023 to discuss Lucky South 99’s “problems” with Pagcor’s billings.

Authorities said they discovered evidence of illegal activities behind the walls of the POGO compounds in Bamban and Porac.

Valid Chinese passport

Remulla lauded the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the return of Shiela Guo and Ong.

The BI said Sheila Guo had in her possession a Chinese passport valid until 2031.

Following the arrest of Guo and Ong, Remulla urged former mayor Alice Guo to turn herself in to Philippine authorities and face the human trafficking charges against her.

He said investigators were also looking into the liability of individuals who might have helped Guo and the others escape.

“This victory demonstrates the enhanced cooperation among government forces in ensuring justice is served and peace is safeguarded at all times,” Remulla said.

Meanwhile, Alice Guo and her brother Wesley are still being hunted by authorities.

Intricate ties

Ong reportedly owns a 58-percent stake in Whirlwind Corporation, which leased land in Porac to Lucky South 99.

Sheila was allegedly connected to illegal POGO operations in Bamban and had an outstanding Senate arrest order due to her repeated absences from hearings related to POGOs.

Authorities suspect that Alice Guo’s company, Baofu Land Development Inc., leased land in Bamban to POGO hub operator Zun Yuan.

Alice claimed to have divested her ownership in Baofu, but the Department of the Interior and Local Government questioned the divestment amount of P2.5 million, calling it “grossly incongruent” with her investment in Baofu, which spans approximately eight hectares of land.

Government documents and intelligence reports showed the dismissed mayor had been in Bali, Indonesia before she went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last 18 July.

Guo later moved to Singapore on 21 July and stayed for almost a month before taking a ferry back to Indonesia last 18 August.

Getting too personal — Roque

In a related development, Roque lamented that the ongoing probe by the quad committee at the House of Representatives into the proliferation of illegal POGOs in which he was implicated was getting “too personal.”

“Mr. Chair, with all due respect, this is a legislative inquiry on POGOs and I think it has become too personal already,” Roque told the mega panel during its second hearing last Thursday.

Roque made the remark in response to Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro’s request that he furnish the quad committee with a copy of the trust agreement between the Roque family and Atty. Percival Ortega, who was hired by the family as a trustee.

“I will submit a copy of the deed of sale of the property to show that the money that we used to acquire the property in Bataan was legitimately sourced and did not come from POGOs. But I think family matters should be left alone,” Roque said.

The request for a copy of the agreement followed Luistro’s query about the “sudden change” in the general information sheet (GIS) of Biancham Holdings and Trading Inc. between March and October 2020.

Biancham’s GIS in March showed that Roque and his wife, Mylah, owned 98 percent and 2 percent of the corporation, respectively.

However, in October 2020, the GIS showed that Biancham was 99.99 percent owned by Ortega.

According to Roque, Biacham was incorporated in 2015. The first incorporators included himself, his wife, his then partner Joel Butuyan, and his two other associates.

Galicia faces disbarment

In another development NBI Director Santiago yesterday said the notary public involved in the counter-affidavit of the dismissed Bamban, Tarlac facing disbarment.

Santiago disclosed that Atty. Elmer Galicia, if found lying about Guo appearing before him and swearing on her counter-affidavit on 14 August may face a criminal case of perjury.

An administrative case may also be filed against him that could cost him his license to practice law, Santiago said.

Meanwhile, the presence of the two arrested companions of Alice Guo is already expected in the next public inquiry on the illegal POGO operations in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga.

In a statement on Friday, Senate spokesperson Arnel Jose Bañas said the chamber “is looking forward” to the participation of the former Bamban mayor’s sister, Sheila Guo and Ong, in the upcoming proceedings.

“Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Ancan said the NBI has assured the Senate that the duo will be made available for the hearings and will be responsible for bringing them to and from the Senate,” Bañas said, noting that the Senate is “prepared to receive” the two individuals.