PAOCC: Lucky South 99 'big boss' nabbed in Laguna

Philippine authorities on Thursday night arrested an alleged "big boss" of the Lucky South 99 that operated the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator in Porac, Pampanga.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesman Winston Casio told Carlo Mateo of Super Radyo dzBB that Lyu Dong, a.k.a. Boss Boga, Boss Apao, and Boss Bahaw, was nabbed almost 8 p.m. at a residential subdivision in Laguna.

Casio said the suspect was the subject of a warrant of arrest and a mission order.

The POGO in Porac has been linked to various crimes.

Casio said the suspect's arrest in Laguna was a major accomplishment of the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Justice, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.

"Kami sa PAOCC lagi naman kaming naka support," Casio said.

"Malaking bagay ito. Isa-isa na nating natutugis 'yung mga big bosses... Kahit makapagpakulong tayo ng ilang libong Chinese workers... hindi sapat 'yun kung hindi tayo makapagpakulong ng big bosses," he added.

(We're always ready in the PAOCC to give support. This is a huge accomplishment. We are now closing in on the big bosses... Even if we can put in jail thousands of Chinese workers... it wouldn't be enough if we can't arrest the big bosses.) 

Casio said they followed a solid lead and were able to arrest Lyu Dong when he stepped outside of his home, which had an event at the time.

“Siya po ay papunta sa kaniyang sasakyan, lumabas ng kaniyang bahay... May mga kasama po siya, meron po parang ginaganap. Lumabas po siya panandalian doon sa party kasama ang kaniyang mga bodyguard, siguro may bibilhin o may pupuntahan. Nung nakita ng ating mga officers, nung ating mga ahente, sinunggaban na po siya… Dahil matagal na natin siya minamanmanan, hawak-hawak yung mission order para sa kaniya. Nasakote na po natin siya,” said Casio.

(He was heading to his car, outside his house… He had companions, there was some sort of event. He stepped out of the party momentarily with his bodyguards. Maybe he was going to buy something or go somewhere. When our officers and agents saw him, they went straight for him… They have been observing him for some time, they already had the mission order for him. We finally arrested him.)

He added that there was slight resistance during the arrest, but there was no further untoward incident. Several of his companions were also arrested during the operation.

Lyu Dong is now being transported to the PAOCC Detention Facility in Pasay City for inquest procedures.

“Noong nahuli nga namin ang Lucky South 99, ako at [ang mga] kasama pa doon sa iba pang mga opisyal ng PAOCC…’Yung abogado namin sa PAOCC, tapos yung CIDG officer… kaming tatlo, nilagyan kami ng presyo noong t—---g ito, kaya’t hindi namin tinantanan ito at kinakailangan pong mapapapanagot namin ito,” said Casio.

(When we exposed Lucky South 99, my colleagues and I, all officials of PAOCC… Our lawyer at PAOCC, and the [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group] officer… He put a price on each of our heads. That is why we did not stop looking for him because he needs to be held accountable.)

“Bagama’t kami ay tao lang. Siyempre, nakakaramdam din kami ng pangangamba while performing our function. Pero kami naman ay may matibay na pananalig sa Panginoon, sa gobyerno, na ginagawa lamang namiin ng tama. Walang halong politika, walang personalan. Trabaho lang,” he added.

(We are still just human beings. Of course, we also feel apprehension while performing our functions. But we also have a strong faith in God, in our government, that we are doing the right thing. There are no politics involved, we do not take things personally. It’s just work.)

Meanwhile, Lyu Dong’s foreign companions will be asked to provide documentation. They will be subjected to investigation by the Bureau of Immigration if they fail to provide proof that they are legally staying in the Philippines.

PAOCC believes that the arrest of Lyu Dong is a huge step toward dismantling the presence of illegal POGO hubs in the country.

“Hangga’t di natin nahuhuli yung mga financier, yung mga taong nagpapatakbo talaga ng mga POGO… Kahit makahuli tayo, makapag-pakulong tayo at makapagpa-report tayo ng ilang libong mga Chinese workers na mga illegal dito, foreign nationals na mga ganiyan, hindi sapat ‘yun kapag hindi natin mapapanagot ang mga big bosses,” he said.

(As long as we don’t have the financiers, the people actually running the POGOs… Even if we arrest, jail, and report several thousand illegal Chinese and foreign national workers here, these will not be enough if we cannot make the big bosses accountable.)

“Ito po ay isang pagpapatunay na ang inyong gobyerno, ang administrasyon ni Presidente Bongbong, ay tuloy-tuloy sa aming commitment na matapos na po ang problemang ito sa mga illegal na POGO at sa iba’t-ibang krimen na idinulot nila sa ating bayan,” he added.

(This is proof that the government, the administration of President [Marcos], is consistent in our commitment to finish the problems caused by illegal POGOs and the different crimes that they are committing  in our country.)

Since Lyu Dong is one of the first POGO bosses in the Philippines, Casio said PAOCC remains hopeful that he can provide further leads into the illegal POGOs operating in the country.

“Sa palagay namin… [Siya] ay makakapagbigay ng sapat na impormasyon at ebidensya kung sino ba tumulong sa kanila sa pagpapatayo [ng POGO sa Pilipinas]. Sino ba ang mga nag-kanlong sa kanila noong mga nakaraang panahon? Maaaring may maituro ito sa mga protector. Sana meron nga,” he shared.

(We believe… [He] can provide enough information and evidence on who exactly helped him and his associates build [the POGOs in the Philippines]. Who exactly hid them these past few months? Maybe he can point us towards their protectors. Hopefully, he can.)
—Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/NB/RF, GMA Integrated News