Porac mayor off the hook on POGO issue

Porac, Pampanga — The House QuadComm has cleared Mayor Jaime Capil and other local government officials of any “involvement or wrongdoing” regarding the operation of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in Porac.

QuadCom lead chairperson and Surigao del Norte Second District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers issued a certificate on 11 February 2025 to Capil, stating, “The QuadComm has no pending issues with Mayor Jaime V. Capil of the Municipality of Porac, province of Pampanga.”

To recall, Capil, his vice mayor and four councilors were implicated in the establishment of the Lucky South 99 POGO facility in Porac.

“Insofar as our exhaustive investigations done in aid of legislation regarding Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), being undertaken by the Joint Committee in the House of Representatives, especially on illegal POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga, more particularly on the illegal operations of Lucky South 99, we found no involvement whatsoever nor any wrongdoing committed by Mayor Jaime V. Capil,” the QuadComm chair said.

Barbers also cleared suspended Vice Mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo and councilors Rafael Canlapan, Adrian Carreon, Essel Joy David and John Nuevy Venzon of any wrongdoing.

In a suspension order approved on 7 October 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman had also issued a suspension order against the late Councilor Regin Clarete, who died in May 2023. Clarete was replaced by his sister, Myla Clarete, who is now the acting Porac mayor, while Capil serves his six-month suspension.

“It was a vindication,” said Capil, who is seeking reelection in Porac, which he transformed into one of the vibrant towns of Pampanga province. “The truth set us free.”

Capil also vowed to continue his development programs for Porac if reelected.

“We are delighted. This is a vindication. It’s a relief for us. We are not involved in any illegal operations of POGO. We still see that our countrymen do not believe the accusations,” Capil said. “This will answer their claims.”

The embattled mayor consistently attended the QuadComm hearing during its investigation into the operations of Lucky South 99 in Porac. POGO operations were legalized by former President Rodrigo Duterte to generate revenue for the country. POGO licenses are issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, which is also mandated to monitor and collect taxes.