Illegally operating hospital for POGO workers raided in Pasay

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) conducted a raid against an illegally operating hospital allegedly linked to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Pasay City.

In Raffy Tima’s exclusive report on Monday’s State of the Nation, the PAOCC said POGO workers with medical conditions visited the facility, wherein several high-end pieces of equipment that included a hemodialysis machine and medical paraphernalia were found.

“Dito tumatakbo yung mga nasusugatan na mga magpo-POGO, mga nagkakasakit,” said PAOCC head Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz.

(This is where injured or sick POGO workers go for treatment.)

A discrete backdoor was also found in the clinic, a possible indicator that clients know of its clandestine nature. The establishment itself was located amongst several restaurants.

“Upon checking, there is no hospital in this area with a license to operate,” said PAOCC Spokesperson Winston John Casio.

“Kami po ay nagkasa ng mga intelligence visits at napag-alaman namin na meron ngang ganito, ospital, mga doktor at nurses na walang mga permit, mga license to practice medicine and nursing in the Philippines,”said Casio.

(We did intelligence visits and we found there were hospitals, nurses, doctors here who have no license to practice medicine and nursing in the Philippines.)

Authorities will investigate why the facility continues to operate even after some of its Filipino staff said they were previously raided.

One of the foreigners arrested for prescribing medicine to patients said he was just visiting the establishment.

“I am a Vietnamese doctor…I visit only,” he later admitted. A security guard, however, said the man was present at the clinic for several months. 

The patients were documented before being released while the arrested staff were detained at the Bureau of Immigration facility for criminal charges and immigration violation.

The clinic was padlocked by the authorities.No comment has been issued by the property owners. —Sundy Locus/RF, GMA Integrated News