Huge water pumping stations discovered at Bamban, Porac POGOs

Authorities discovered large water pumping stations at the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and in Porac, Pampanga according to Saleema Refran’s report in “24 Oras” on Friday. 

The Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) found a deep well pumping station near the dormitory of the Baofu Land Development Inc. Compound in Bamban. 

The pumping station is two-floors high with huge machines and a water reservoir that supplies water to the entire compound. 

Although it is connected to the local water district, the PAOCC said it is possible that the POGO hub is not paying the right cost of water consumed. 

“Nasa P1,000 hanggang P3,000 lang ang binabayaran nila monthly. Kung titignan mo, napakalayo doon sa napakalaking lugar nila na kasyang tumira ang 3,000 hanggang 5,000 tao…Tapos may Olympic sized swimming pool pa,” said PAOCC executive director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz. ‘

(They are just paying between P1,000 to P3,000 monthly. If you will notice, this is far from the expected cost for an area where 3,000 to 5,000 people can reside…They also have an Olympic-sized swimming pool.) 

“Ang iniisip namin, yung resibo na yun is parang front niya lang nitong POGO hub na ito para sabihin nagbabayad siya ng water,” he added. 

(What we are thinking is that the receipt is likely used by the POGO hub to show that they are paying their bills.) 

The compound of Baofu Land Development Inc. was established during the height of the pandemic, also during the time when suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo was the firm’s president. 

The Bamban local government unit will review the land plan of the compound. 

“We will just investigate that running water…ang mga lupa, baka guguho dahil sa malaki po ang volume yata ang kinukuha nila,” said acting Bamban Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion. 

(We will just investigate that running water…the lands. We are worried that the solid could erode because of the huge volume of water they are getting.)

Porac compound

Meanwhile, five underground deep well pumping stations were found in the Lucky South 99 compound in Porac, Pampanga. 

The pumping stations were discovered because the POGO hub has yet to receive water bills. 

“Nakita namin malalaking mga tangke, malalaki yung pump na ‘yun, at marami. Kaya doon kami nabahala,” said PAOCC lawyer Ernesto Tendero. 

(We saw large pumps and there were many of them. these got us worried.) 

“Kasi alam naman natin kung ano magiging resulta ng sobrang paggamit ng extract ng tubig sa ilalim ng lupa. Babagsak ang lupa. At yung lalo na ito, agricultural, hinihigupin nito yung tubig sa labas para i-supply sa kanila,” Tendero added. 

(We know the effects of excessive undergroung extraction of water. The ground will erode. We should remember that this land is agricultural and they will extract that water just to meet their supply.) 

GMA Integrated News has already reached out to the local government of Porac for comment. 

The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DNER) and the National Water Resources Board (NWRB)  already inspected the two POGO hubs, the report said. 

But according to the report of NWRB, the two POGO hubs are extracting large volumes of water without permits. 

Meanwhile, the DENR has already noticed numerous violations in the two compounds even before they were raided. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP, GMA Integrated News