Gatchalian raises mayor's possible link to raided POGO hub in Tarlac

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate a local government official in Tarlac over possible links to a recently raided POGO hub in the province.

In a statement, Gatchalian said his office obtained a Sangguniang Bayan Resolution dated September 2020 containing the council's approval of the application made by Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who was then a private citizen, for a license to operate Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc.

Hongsheng was raided in February 2023. The same compound was then used by Zun Yuan Technology Inc., the company that was raided this month.

Gatchalian said a list of vehicles found inside the premises of Zun Yuan Technology and verification with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) showed that one of the vehicles is registered under Guo's name.

He also said a statement of account issued to Guo by Tarlac II Electric Cooperative, Inc. was found inside the premises of Zuan Yuan.

The statement of account appears to be an electricity bill amounting to P15.111 million, which covers the period between September 2023 to February 2024, Gatchalian said.
 
“These are damning pieces of evidence that Mayor Guo might be involved in the operation of this POGO facility that is now implicated in various criminal activities. The DILG should look closely into the matter,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian, a former mayor himself, stressed that local government officials should be helping in preventing criminalities in their respective jurisdictions and "should not involve themselves in dubious businesses such as the POGOs."

GMA News Online has sought the comment of Guo regarding Gatchalian's statement through her Facebook page and email, but she has yet to respond as of posting time.

Earlier this month, more than 800 Filipinos and foreign nationals were rescued at a large POGO hub in Bamban after it was raided for alleged illegal activities that included crypto and love scams.

A swimming pool, several tunnels and luxury cars were among the discoveries inside the POGO hub.

Gatchalian filed a resolution last week seeking a Senate investigation into the raid. —Hana Bordey/KBK, GMA Integrated News