Gov't. agencies meet to discuss status of POGO workers amid impending shutdown

Different government agencies gathered for the upcoming December 31 closure of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in the country, Dano Tingcungco reported Wednesday on 24 Oras.

“Dapat kasi mag meet regularly stakeholders for closure ng pogo. Lalo na may employees na may alien permit and may immigration issues yan,” Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said.

(Stakeholders should meet regularly for the closure of POGO, especially when there are employees with alien permits who have immigration issues.)

The meeting included discussions about the plan for the foreign employees.

“They have to voluntarily leave or they will be summarily deported. So, yung mga summarily deportation, 'yan 'yung may mga blacklist record (the summarily deportations are those in the blacklist record),” said Winston Casio, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson.

While the Executive Order, which contains the provisions of the POGO ban, has yet to be released, authorities are monitoring the POGOs that are allegedly transferring from one location to another.

“Sinusundan naman ng lahat ng law enforcement (The law enforcements are following them). When they are tracked down they will be deported,” he said.

Human trafficking vs Guo

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is hoping that the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) would release an arrest warrant against dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo for the qualified human trafficking case, which is non-bailable.

The Justice Dept. stressed its importance since the Senate announced a possible final hearing on the issues relating to Guo.

“There’s a possibility of release from the senate's custody. the DOJ has no jurisdiction over the courts' timing on issuance of warrants of arrest. It would be in our favor na hindi siya makawala,” Clavano said.

Guo’s camp plans to post bail after the Senate hearing.

"Sinong gusto ang taong makulong sa Pasay City Jail? Wala ka naman conviction. Samantalang dito sa facility ng PNP, yung safety niya is of five or six people,” Guo’s lawyer Stephen David said,

(Who wants to be jailed at Pasay City Jail? There’s no conviction. Meanwhile, in the facility of the Philippine National Police, she is safe with five to six people.)

Guo’s camp also brushed off the DOJ’s threat that they may also face complaints concerning the notarization of Guo’s counter affidavit although it was not personally sworn to.

“Kung fa-file-an mo ng kaso lalo na kung isang abugado na ginagawa trabaho niya, eh wala kang ebidensya, speculations lang, mahihirapan yon. Pwede rin kaming magfile ng kaso sa Ombudsman,” David said.

(If you file a case against a lawyer doing his job but you have no evidence, only speculations, that would be difficult. We can also file a case with the Ombudsman.)

NBI: Guo signatures don't match

In the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the signatures of Guo in her counter affidavit on August 14 with the notary of Atty. Elmer Galicia does not match her other official documents.

With that, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said Guo was lying when she said she signed the counter affidavit before she left the country in July. 

David assured that Guo would speak in court.

“Sa court kasi, hindi pwede sabihin ng prosecution na nagsisinungaling ka, hindi totoo yan. Hindi niya sasabihin na hindi ako naniniwala sa'yo, sinungaling ka. Hindi pwede yun,” David said.

In the court, the prosecutor can say that Guo is lying. It is not allowed that they don’t believe her because she's lying. That is not allowed.)

Guo nor any of her lawyers were not present during the first hearing of her birth certificate’s cancellation at Tarlac RTC 11.

The hearing was requested by the Philippine Statistics Authority through the Solicitor General since the registration of Guo’s birth certificate allegedly violated the law.

Guo’s lawyers previously filed an entry of appearance and a motion of 30 days to file their response to the petition.—Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News