Money in vaults for Central One use — lawyer

BAGAC, Bataan — “It’s a big company employing 1,600 employees, so this money is used for operations, for salary, for payment of various suppliers.”

This was the statement made by Central One Bataan PH’s legal counsel Atty. Don Chiong during the opening of the 14 vaults inside the company’s facilities in Bagac, Bataan on Wednesday.

The opening of the 14 vaults inside Central One Bataan is part of the break open order issued by the court, with personnel from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) implementing the order.

More than P30 million worth of cash, along with other foreign currencies and documents were found inside the vaults during the implementation of the break open order. Aside from the Philippine peso, authorities also discovered US dollars, Malaysian ringgits and Singaporean dollars.

Atty. Chiong said that the company aims to cooperate with authorities, as representatives of the business process outsourcing (BPO) firm witnessed the operation, as the Bureau of Fire Protection pried open the vaults using specialized tools.

Authorities are set to bring the seized monetary bills and other documents found inside the vaults to Camp Crame in Quezon City before going to the Malolos court, and will be used as evidence.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has confirmed that the agency has no jurisdiction over the Bagac-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Central One Bataan PH.

The statement came from PAGCOR Regulatory Officer Atty. Joseph Lobo during the Bataan Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting recently at the Bataan Tourism Pavilion here.

Lobo stated that the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) has authority over the BPO firm, citing that the government owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) is responsible for regulating the operations of Central One, and not PAGCOR.

During the meeting, Governor Joet Garcia said that he is appalled by the treatment made by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to the employees of Central One.

More than 10 Central One employees recounted their ordeal during the raid made by the said law enforcement agencies on 31 October, with representatives from these organizations present during the meeting except the PAOCC.

Garcia, who is also the chairman of Bataan Peace and Order Council, said that the confirmation of PAGCOR shows that the raid by the PAOCC on Central One Bataan lacked basis, adding that the confirmation addresses what the agency cited as requirement for the operation of the BPO firm.

Central One Bataan legal counsel Atty. Cherry Anne dela Cruz said that the company operates as a BPO and not as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO), adding that company started in January 2023 and complies with AFAB regulations and BPO standards.

“We have a gaming license which was never used but we are not a POGO. We do not engage in online gambling,” she said, adding that the PAGCOR clarification and the information shared by Central One Bataan PH reinforced the company’s adherence to AFAB regulations and helped clarify issues that have arisen in recent weeks.