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Police Regional Office (PRO)-3 (Central Luzon) chief Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr. came under scrutiny over the illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) that had been arrested in the earlier raid within said regional officer’s area of jurisdiction.
According to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, the move is to determine Hidalgo’s accountability regarding the recent illegal POGOs arrest. Others also under investigation include the entire roster of personnel of the Bamban, Tarlac Municipal Police Station, the chief of police of Porac, Pampanga and the director of the Pampanga Police Provincial Office.
“We are investigating because these reports were not acted upon properly,” Marbil said, adding that he does not see these officers as “the ‘protectors’ of POGOs.”
Currently, there are only 43 legal POGOs operating in Kawit, Cavite and Metro Manila, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR), quoted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
In this recent large-scale illegal POGO raid, where cases of torture, killings and human trafficking had been reported, Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo had been suspended for six months, expelled from the NPC and charged with human trafficking.
The arrest also garnered attention from Philippines representatives, and prompted further actions from other relevant government departments.
