DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed syndicated estafa and online illegal gambling charges against 58 workers linked to a newly discovered Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
Ely Leano, spokesperson for the NBI Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office (SEMRO), said the mostly foreign workers rescued from the site underwent inquest proceedings on Monday, December 9, at the Panabo Hall of Justice.
The NBI also applies for a cyber warrant to access files stored on computers seized from the premises.
The operation began on December 6, when agents conducted a raid to rescue a Malaysian national allegedly held illegally inside a warehouse in Purok 6, Manay village.
Instead of finding the Malaysian, authorities uncovered an illegal POGO operation involving 55 Chinese nationals, three Malaysians, and one Filipina worker.
Leano stated that investigators are still working to identify the operation’s owner and determine whether local officials were complicit.
“They could not have operated without the consent or protection of local officials,” Leano said in a phone interview.
Local leaders commended the NBI for their swift action. Panabo City Vice Mayor Gregorio “Banjong” Dujali III filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives’ quad committee to include the POGO discovery in its ongoing investigations.
Mayor Jose Relampagos praised the NBI for dismantling the operation, which had allegedly been active for about four months.