Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, Jr. has called on former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and Katherine Cassandra Li Ong to disclose all information they possess regarding illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) hubs in Bamban, Tarlac, and Porac, Pampanga. Gonzales emphasized the importance of revealing the truth for the benefit of the country.
Guo, who is facing multiple charges related to POGO activities in her town, was arrested in Indonesia, where she had been hiding, and was brought back to Manila on Friday. She is expected to appear before the Senate next week to address allegations concerning the POGO hub in Bamban.
Meanwhile, Ong, who is currently detained in Congress, was previously grilled by the House Quad Committee investigating illegal POGO operations, drug trafficking, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) that occurred during the previous administration’s war on drugs. Ong was rushed to the hospital due to unstable blood pressure during a hearing on Wednesday.
Gonzales suggested that Ong may be experiencing pressure from individuals or groups involved in illegal POGO operations. Ong revealed during the hearing that she holds a 58% stake in a corporation that owns the large tract of land in Porac, where 46 buildings, a mansion, and other structures for POGO operations were constructed under the company Lucky South 99.
While Ong admitted her dealings with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) as a representative of Lucky South 99, she continues to deny involvement in the POGO operations. PAGCOR stated that only one building in the Porac hub was licensed for POGO, and the license was not renewed.
Gonzales expressed disappointment over the tarnishing of Pampanga’s reputation due to illegal POGO activities in Porac, noting the seizure of PHP 3.6 billion worth of shabu in a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga in September 2023, and the discovery of PHP 1.3 billion worth of illegal drugs in an abandoned vehicle in Mabalacat City in August of the same year.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Gonzales urged Ong to fully disclose the truth, but she remained cautious in her responses, providing limited details.
Gonzales is a key proponent of the joint investigation conducted by four committees into illegal POGO operations, drug trafficking, and extrajudicial killings, and he authored the resolution that led to the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs’ probe into the PHP 3.6 billion drug seizure in Mexico, Pampanga, headed by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.