In March, Philippine authorities raided a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) in Tarlac Province and freed 868 workers who may have been victims of human trafficking.
Last week, police returned to the 25-acre compound to seize nine villas, 46 vehicles, US$97,000 in cash and other items including motorcycles and heavy equipment. They also were ordered to open 27 vaults discovered on the premises.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, the compound was run by Zun Yuan Technology Inc.
As of last week, 499 of the rescued foreign workers were being prepared for deportation. Eight people will be charged with trafficking and serious illegal detention.
On March 10, the Philippine Inquirer revealed that the Department of the Interior and Local Government is now investigating the alleged involvement of local officials including the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, Alice Guo.
In a statement, Guo said, “I deny in the strongest terms all of these allegations of criminal conduct, or at least allegations that I have somehow aided and abetted the supposedly illegal acts of Zun Yuan Technology.”
Guo said she would not tolerate “heinous crimes like human trafficking, torture and illegal detention.
“I would like to remind everyone that, as Filipinos, our constitution guarantees that we are all innocent until proven guilty. The point being, I am being unfairly persecuted in the absence of any real investigation and without any court trial. I welcome any investigation carried out by the proper authorities at the proper forum.”
A total of 868 Pogo workers—371 Filipinos, 427 Chinese, 57 Vietnamese, eight Malaysians, three Taiwanese, two Indonesians and two Rwandans—were rescued from the operation.
