Police in Fontana raid miss Chinese believed behind Bamban POGO

Authorities missed arresting one of the individuals behind the raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Bamban, Tarlac when they swooped down on some villas at the Fontana Leisure Park in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

According to Saleema Refran’s report in “24 Oras,” the law enforcers raided five villas inside the resort in a bid to catch Chinese fugitive Huang Zhiyang of Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated. 

Huang is believed to be one of the individuals behind the POGO in Bamban, Tarlac where scams are suspected to have been staged.

Human trafficking and prostitution are also believed to have been committed in the sprawling facility in Bamban.

Authorities said that the Chinese target may have escaped after receiving a tip on the raid. 

“Yung iba bukas pa yung mga aircon nila, iba bukas pa yung electric fans. Yung iba, mainit pa yung mga tea. So, siguro baka natunugan din nila yung pagpasok natin,” said PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz. 

(There were some aircon and electric fans that were still turned on. We also found teas that were still hot. So maybe he sensed that there would be a raid.) 

Also found in one of the villas were documents with the name of Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying, who were incorporators of the raided POGO hub in Bamban and now both detained in Singapore for money laundering. 

In Darlene Cay’s report, authorities discovered as well in the resort were torture devices. 

Further, 19 foreigners rescued from the resort underwent welfare check and profiling by the Bureau of Immigration. 

Eighteen of the foreign nationals were already released, while one of them remains under the custody of local authorities for being suspected as one of the bosses of the POGO hub in Bamban. 

“May posibilidad na siya po ay associated doon sa Bamban POGO, sa Zun Yuan. Maaaring isa siya sa mga nakatakas na middle level bosses o managers. Kapag na-validate namin, kakasuhan namin siya ng immigration violation dahil di niya napakita ang kanyang mga dokumento,” said PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio. 

(There’s a possibility that he is associated with the Bamban POGO, the Zun Yuan. He could be one of the middle-level bosses or managers who escaped the raid. If we validate everything, we would file charges for immigration violations for failing to show documents.) 

Two Filipino citizens were also found inside the villas, including a driver who was a former Police Security Protection Group member. 

The PAOCC said that the former policeman had suspicious photos in his cellphone which could link him to the POGO boss and Guo. The cop denied the allegations. 

“Wala po ako idea sa mga ganun. Kasi yung boss nga po namin dito... Pag pumunta rito, once a year, twice a year, ganun,” the Filipino man said.

(I don’t have any idea about that. Because our boss whenever he comes here, it’s only once a year or twice a year.) 

The Clark Development Corporation, on the other hand, said that Fontana Leisure Parks is just leasing the land where it is currently located. 

But the CDC noted that the resort had violations in the past and these could be the basis for its possible closure. —Vince Ferreras/NB, GMA Integrated News