Cebu hotel raid uncovers first illegal Pogo hub in Visayas; 162 foreigners rescued

At least a hundred foreign nationals were rescued during a raid on Saturday, August 31, at hotel in Brgy. Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu that was identified as a Pogo hub. | CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines – An operation to rescue a group of Indonesians who were believed to be illegally detained at a hotel in Brgy. Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Saturday, August 31, led to the discovery of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub.

This was the first illegal Pogo hub in Visayas that was discovered after the nationwide ban by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

More than a hundred foreign nationals were found to be involved in internet-based love scams conducted inside the hotel.

At around 6 a.m. on Saturday, multiple agencies raided the Tourist Garden Hotel in search of eight illegally-detained Indonesians per the request of the Indonesian embassy.

Lawyer Renan Oliva, director of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7), disclosed that they received tips from two individuals who escaped earlier about 40-60 more Indonesians allegedly trapped inside the hotel.

A total of three people escaped on July 21, and two of them revealed the location to law enforcement personnel.

When law enforcers arrived at the hotel, they found 162 nationals from Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Burma, who appeared to be operating a scam farm.

This included 83 Chinese, 70 Indonesians, six Burmese, one Malaysian, and two Taiwanese.

Winston Casio, spokesperson of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), said that the foreigners occupied three multi-story buildings in their operation of love scams.

The hotel, owned by a Chinese national, used to be public resort, and has become semi-private as only foreigners were allowed to occupy, he added.

Here is a photo of one of the rooms that were used by the foreign nationals in their alleged operation of internet-based scams at a hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. | CDN Photo/Emmariel Ares

‘100% an illegal Pogo’

Casio told reporters that the computers and other equipment found during the raid provided enough evidence to charge the suspects with cybercrime-related offenses, including facilitating illegal gambling and qualified trafficking.

He confirmed that the establishment was being used as an illegal Pogo hub, noting, “This is 100% an illegal POGO. Illegal po ito kasi wala pong POGO na may lisensya dito sa Cebu Province,” stated Casio.

A total of 162 foreign nationals were rescued, including six Indonesians the authorities were initially searching for. Among those found were 10 Filipino women and a minor, who claimed she was there to teach dance lessons.

Other local workers, such as cooks and cleaners, were not involved in illegal activities.

The operation took an entire day as authorities searched the property and documented the rescued individuals. Most did not resist, and no firearms were found.

Casio revealed that many of the foreigners had escaped from a previous Pogo hub raided in Pampanga, along with five Filipino managers who also relocated to Cebu. This suggests a possible connection to the Pampanga Pogo hub shut down on June 5.

All the rescued foreigners will face charges for immigration violations, as most could not present passports.

Authorities will investigate which individuals were involved in the Pogo operations and whether the hotel owner, who was present during the raid, was complicit. The five local managers will also face charges.

The operator of the Pogo hub, identified as a Chinese national, will be charged with slight illegal detention. While reports indicated that the foreigners were not allowed to leave the hotel, it remains unclear if they were physically abused. Authorities will also investigate victims of love scams linked to the group.

READ: PAOCC saves 6 trafficking victims; nabs 162 others in Lapu-Lapu

Casio mentioned that surveillance of the area began on July 22, describing the establishment as an all-in-one compound with sleeping quarters, a grocery store, restaurants, and entertainment rooms.

Despite previous reports claiming no Pogo hubs in Cebu, Casio noted that they had received information about other possible hubs in the province.

“Let me put it this way, ito ang first time namin sa PAOCC dito sa Cebu Province. But we have heard reports of other possible illegal Pogos in this island region…We’ve heard reports. And this is a clear evidence that those reports are true. That is undeniable now because we have seen the evidence,” he stated.

Casio mentioned that they are also investigating whether any public officials were involved.

Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan praised the joint operation by various government agencies that uncovered a POGO hub at a hotel in Barangay Agus on August 31, 2024.

The operation was led by the PAOCC, NBI-7, Bureau of Immigration (BI), Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It also rescued 10 minors now in DSWD-7 custody.

Chan expressed surprise at the illegal POGO hub’s existence in the hotel. He urged residents to help monitor and report suspicious activities, especially from new renters or outsiders.

Chan encouraged reporting such concerns to the nearest police station or via their Facebook page. /clorenciana