MANILA, Philippines – The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), along with civilians, filed criminal complaints against two Chinese connected with a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga for various offenses, including human trafficking and kidnapping.

On Tuesday, July 1, Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors received the complaints filed by the PAOCC and unspecified complainants against Qin Ren Gou, 37, originally from Hunan province, China, and Jiang Shi Guang, 41, from Heibei province. The two Chinese face the following criminal complaints:

• Alleged violation of anti-trafficking act
• Robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons
• Serious physical injuries
• Kidnapping and serious illegal detention

The Chinese sued were related to Lucky South 99, the controversial POGO “checked” by the PAOCC and other Philippine authorities in early June. Workers from the said POGO claimed to have been trafficked and tortured. The two respondents are currently under the PAOCC’s custody.

DOJ prosecutors explained they cannot disclose yet the names of the civilian complainants, who are Chinese, due to security concerns. Complainants claimed they were restrained to a bed frame, kept locked for several days, and was beaten.

Tangled connections

The events in the controversial POGO in Porac, Pampanga have attracted the public’s attention due to the personalities involved and corruption within government.

Dennis Cunanan, a convicted pork barrel scam player, was allegedly hired by Lucky South 99 to run its corporate communications and government relations arm. The operation against the Porac POGO also opened the discussion of a possible leak within government since some foreigners were caught leaving before PAOCC even reached the area to conduct a “welfare check.”

The latest complaints were the second set of suits filed in relation to POGOs. Last month, Philippine authorities also filed a qualified trafficking complaint against Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Cunanan, and 12 others, in relation to their alleged ties to Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated. The said POGO, located within Guo’s jurisdiction, was raided in March over alleged human trafficking.

Aside from her alleged ties with the illegal POGO, Guo is also in hot water over her real identity and citizenship. During Senate probes, lawmakers flagged Guo’s shady background. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros even raised the question of whether Guo was an “asset” planted by China to infiltrate local politics. The mayor also claimed in one of the public hearings that she couldn’t remember basic details about her life.

The National Bureau of Investigation recently confirmed that the fingerprints of Guo and Guo Hua Ping, the Chinese woman suspected to be her true identity, had matched. This is evidence against the local official, which could be used to prove that she may be Chinese and not Filipino. – Rappler.com