Manila Bulletin
Philippines
National
PNP assures impartial probe on Pogo raid amid allegations of abuse, arbitrary detention
Philippines
National
PNP assures impartial probe on Pogo raid amid allegations of abuse, arbitrary detention
PNP assures impartial probe on Pogo raid amid allegations of abuse, arbitrary detention
Published Jun 30, 2023 08:45 am
|
Updated Jun 30, 2023 08:45 am
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday, June 30, that it will conduct an impartial investigation to determine whether there were lapses on the part of cops who conducted a raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub in Las Piñas City recently.
*Philippine National Police (File photo)
* This, as Xinchuang Network Technology Inc., the company involved in the June 27 raid, issued a demand letter to the PNP to investigate accusations of police abuse and arbitrary detention on the operating units of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and National Capital Region Police (NCRPO) that led to the “rescue” of 2,725 alleged Pogo workers at its compound in Brgy. Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City. Of those rescued, a total of 1,534 are Filipinos while the rest are foreigners from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. “Lahat ng party ay makakaasa ng isang makatarungan at patas na imbestigasyon dito sa ating ginagawa lalong lalo ‘yung sinasabing operation ng ACG at NCRPO dito sa POGO hub na kanilang ni-raid (All of the parties can expect a just and impartial investigation on the raid by the ACG and NCRPO in a POGO hub),” Police Brig Gen. Redrico Maranan, chief of PNP public information office, told reporters. Xinchuang, one of the hundreds of POGO service providers accredited by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), asked the PNP to investigate the truth behind the injuries sustained by at least 13 foreign workers who were among those rescued during the raid. The raid, described by the PNP as related to suspected human trafficking, was carried out by the PNP-ACG and NCRPO on June 27 by virtue of multiple search warrants at the compound of Xinchuang. In its final demand letter, Xinchuang also questioned the operation as it pointed out that the PNP has not yet filed a single charge against those who were taken under police custody, noting that a case should already have been filed within 72 hours after the operation. This, according to the company, is a violation of human rights of the Pogo workers and could be considered as a case of arbitrary detention. The demand letter is addressed to Police Brig Gen. Sidney Hernia, PNP-ACG director; Police Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, acting regional director of NCRPO; Police Maj. Gen. Edgar Okubo, former NCRPO chief; Police Maj. Gen. Jon Arnaldo, head of the PNP Director for Intelligence; and Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco. However, Maranan clarified that the individuals taken under police custody are considered as “rescues” so charges won’t be filed against them. He said that the rescues are undergoing profiling and once it is finished, they will be released by the PNP. “As a matter of fact, majority of the Filipinos there were already released because it’s easy to profile them. Ang tinitingnan lang natin talaga maigi ‘yung mga foreign nationals, tinitingnan maigi ng Bureau of Immmigration ‘yan but yung kani-kanilang mga respective embassies were fully informed (What we are carefully profiling are the foreign nationals, and the Bureau of Immigration is leading that but their respective embassies were fully informed),” Maranan stated. He also denied that some of the foreign nationals were abused and hurt by the operating troops. Accordingly, a commotion occurred on Thursday, June 29, when some of the rescues got mad when they saw Filipino workers were processed and released. Maranan said some of the foreigners attempted to escape from the police custody and they sustained injuries after climbing a high fence with electric wire. “Pinasisinungalingan natin ‘yan. ‘Yung mga nasabing mga nasugatan na mga foreign nationals ay sila ‘yung nag attempt na lumabas ng compound at umakyat doon sa bakod (We deny [the allegations of abuse]. The injured foreign nationals are the ones who attempted to go out of the compound by climbing the fence),” he said. He also stressed that the welfare of the rescues is being prioritized as they are given food by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and monitored by their respective embassy representatives. “Ang next step dito, ire-release natin ‘yung mga rescued foreign nationals doon sa representatives ng kanilang embassies if and when wala silang nalabag na batas ng ating bansa (For the next step, we will release the rescued foreign nationals to the representatives from their embassies if and when they have not committed any violation of the law in our country),” Maranan said.