PNP files raps vs. 5 Chinese in POGO raid(Philippines) 2023.7.1……【Police】【Philippines】2023年6月27日，菲律宾国家首都区警察局突袭拉斯皮纳斯市 Barangay Almanza Uno 的一处大院，据称受菲律宾非法离岸博彩运营商（POGO）侵害的 2,700 多名工人在此获救。菲律宾国家警察周六（7月1日）表示，五名中国公民因本次警方突袭而被指控贩卖人口和违反《网络犯罪预防法》。菲律宾国家警察已向司法部对这五名中国公民提出刑事指控，菲国警首席信息官准将雷德里科·马拉南 (Redrico Maranan) 表示，Li Jiacheng, Xiao Liu, Yan Jiayong, Duan Haozhuan, and LP Hongkun 均被提起与人口贩运和违反 2012 年《网络犯罪预防法》罪名相关的案件。

PNP files raps vs. 5 Chinese in POGO raid
By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
July 1, 2023, 4:51 pm

POGO RAID. National Capital Region Police Office agents guard a compound in Barangay Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City where more than 2,700 workers who were allegedly victimized by an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator were rescued on June 27, 2023. The Philippine National Police on Saturday (July 1) said five Chinese nationals have been charged with human trafficking and violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act in relation to the police raid. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police has filed criminal charges against five Chinese nationals before the Department of Justice in relation to the raid of seven Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) establishments in Las Piñas City early this week.

In a statement on Saturday, PNP chief information officer Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said cases of human trafficking and violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 were filed against Li Jiacheng, Xiao Liu, Yan Jiayong, Duan Haozhuan, and LP Hongkun.

Maranan had stressed that the police operation was legitimate and was carried out on orders of a competent court, following allegations of human rights violations in the June 27 operations against Xinhuang Network Technologies.

The raid led to the rescue of more than 2,700 alleged POGO workers, around 1,500 of them Filipinos while the rest are foreigners mostly from countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

“The judge issued the warrants after she had personally examined the complainants, and witnesses through a personal searching inquiry, and that she was convinced by the applicant and the pieces of evidence presented before her. Based on existing laws, no search warrant shall be issued except when there is a probable cause,” he said.

An additional 299 agents from the Anti-Cybercrime Group and the National Capital Region Police Office have been deployed for the continuous implementation of search warrants against Xinhuang.

All rescued Filipinos have been sent home while there are still 1,284 foreigners under custody for processing, like obtaining personal profiles, travel history, and status for documentation purposes prior to their turnover to their respective embassies, Maranan said.

He said human rights officers ensure that the rescued victims are respected and protected at all times, while representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development provide food packs. (PNA)