PAOCC: ‘Boss of all POGO bosses' in Hong Kong

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on Tuesday confirmed that Huang Zhiyang, the alleged "boss of all bosses" of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), is already in Hong Kong.

“Huang Zhiyang is now in Hong Kong and it’s confirmed, ma’am,” PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz told Senator Risa Hontiveros, who presided over the hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.

Other POGO-linked foreigners who supposedly helped dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo went into hiding abroad. Among these are Duanren Wu and Zhang Jie who are in Indonesia and Singapore, respectively, said Cruz.

As to the whereabouts of Wesley Guo, the supposed brother of Alice Guo, the PAOOC official said they are still verifying whether he is in Hong Kong.

“We’re trying to validate the information as to the presence of Wesley Guo in Hong Kong,” the PAOCC official said when asked by Hontiveros if Wesley “linked up” with Huang Zhiyang in the special administrative region (SAR) of China.

Meanwhile, Cassandra Li Ong—the authorized representative of Lucky South 99 POGO firm—-said she also has no idea if her “boyfriend” Wesley met with Huang Zhiyang, as she has no idea where Wesley is right now.

“‘Yung mga phone ko po is nasa NBI right now so wala po kaming contact and I have a new phone pero wala pong other contact po,” Ong said.

(My phones are with the National Bureau of Investigation right now so we have no contact. I have a new phone but it has no contacts.)

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada questioned if Ong is not concerned about her boyfriend’s whereabouts or if he is in safe condition, but Ong said she doesn't know Wesley’s phone number.

Ong also denied knowing a certain Xiao Long who is associated with Lucky South 99 and Whirlwind Corporation.

Whirlwind Corporation is the company that leased its property in the town of Porac in Pampanga to the POGO hub of Lucky South 99.

“‘Yung isang kinasuhan natin si Ginoong Xiao Long is actually one of our subject persons of interest doon sa Lucky South 99. Siya po ‘yung sinundan natin at sila ‘yung nahuli natin na nakasuhan natin dito sa Lapu-Lapu,” PAOCC spokesperson Winston John Casio said.

(The one we charged was Mr. Xiao Long, who is actually one of our subject persons of interest at Lucky South 99. He is the one of those we followed and arrested in Lapu-Lapu.)

Some 150 foreigners, including individuals believed to have been part of a POGO hub that was raided in Pampanga for reported illegal activities, were earlier found by authorities in a private compound in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Authorities said the foreigners were from China, Indonesia and Myanmar. They were found after Indonesians who escaped from the compound alerted their embassy in the Philippines which in turn reported it to local authorities. —RF, GMA Integrated News