Alleged torture room, scam evidence found at Porac POGO hub

Authorities discovered an alleged torture room and evidence of "love scam" operations inside a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Porac, Pampanga.

According to Jonathan Andal’s report on “24 Oras Weekend,” as authorities resumed their raid on Saturday, they found several computers inside a building, as well as cellphones, blank sim cards, and scripts in Chinese.

“Ang nakikita namin doon, tapos more on love scam.  Nakikipag-contact ito doon sa mga hindi taga rito. Yun ang binibiktima  nila. Maybe from China, from Hong Kong, from Taiwan,” said Usec. Gilbert Cruz, executive director, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission  (PAOCC).

(What we saw was more of a love scam. They contact people who are not from here. That's who they prey on. Maybe from  China, from Hong Kong, from Taiwan.)

The police also discovered the alleged torture room and torture tools such as batons and baseball bats.

Authorities previously saw evidence of torture after they were able to rescue injured foreigners inside the compound.

“Kailangan kasi ma-reach nila yung quota eh. So pag hindi nila na-reach yung quota for a week, then they will receive yung mga beatings na yan,” said  Cruz.

(They had to reach the quota. They would be beaten if they didn't.)

Cruz added that the focus of Saturday's search was to find if any more kidnapping victims may still need rescuing inside the compound.

"Yun ang iniisip (meron pang kailangang ma-rescue), kasi nung unang araw na  ire-raid yan, nagtakbuhan po. So yung mga naka posas o parang bihag nila, iniwan na nila," said Cruz.

(That's our thinking,  someone may still need help. Because on the first day of the raid,  people ran away and left those who were handcuffed and the alleged  captives.)

Outside the dormitories,  authorities found a cell phone that was left behind, which is now being examined.

A facility for power supply was also seen at the POGO hub.

Authorities also discovered that the hub not only had workspaces and residences. The compound had several establishments, including  Chinese restaurants, grocery stores with Chinese products, and a salon.  They also had a clinic and pharmacy with Chinese-labelled medicines.

There were also several abandoned vehicles, including a sports car.

Animals were also seen, such as monkeys and rabbits. There were also ill dogs, several of which had died.

The PAOCC would coordinate with the Philippine Animal Welfare Society to rescue the animals.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will look into Senator Sherwin Gatchalian's allegation that POGO operators may have influenced the judiciary.

A court in Malolos, Bulacan recently revoked the search warrant it issued against the POGO hub in Porac, so the raid was temporarily stopped on  Tuesday.

GMA Integrated News tried several times to get a comment from the said court in Malolos, but they declined to give a statement.

Only five out of the 46 buildings within the ten-hectare Porac POGO hub had so far been searched. The police, however, did not set a timeline for the full exploration of the facility. — Sherylin Untalan/DVM, GMA Integrated News