BATAAN, Philippines – Authorities raided on Thursday, October 31, a suspected scam hub inside the freeport zone in Bagac, Bataan, and rescued around 900 workers.
Amid threats of a downpour due to Supertyphoon Leon, joint operatives from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) entered the premises of Central One on Thursday, armed with a search warrant that they secured from a Malolos court on October 29.
The search warrant, signed by Judge Hermenegildo Dumlao II, says “there is probable cause to believe” that foreign workers in the hub are victims of human trafficking. The search warrant also authorizes the seizure of computers, laptops, cellphones, servers, and CCTV to potentially build evidence of “scamming activities and online recruitment.”
Central One does not have a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) license or an Interactive Gaming License (IGL), but it is authorized to operate under a master license from the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB). According to an employee, they are “special class BPOs (business process outsourcing).”
Freeport zones and economic zones enjoy some autonomy in their jurisdictions, much like how the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) has its own POGO design called i-Gaming. Although under different regulatory framework, the design is pretty much the same.
Central One has six buildings and various amenities with a P600 million investment and a workforce of 1,500, including expatriates.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said the establishment has been operating for less than two years, and has not obtained any direct permits from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
According to initial information, the hub had no gaming operations just yet, and was currently functioning primarily as a BPO provider.
The raid came as a surprise because last June, local officials of Bataan already inspected this hub and the company owners gamely toured the officials and showcased their facilities.
POGOs and IGLs have been totally banned and should be winding down operations by the end of the year, following the announcement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr last July. POGO workers have also been advised to voluntarily downgrade their working visas. But to this day, there is no executive order coming from Malacañang.
–Rappler.com
