Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan said that one of the IDs retrieved from inside the Pogo hub, which showed that a Chinese man was a city consultant for Chinese Business Promotions, is fake. | Junard “Ahong” Chan FB Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan denied that one of the Chinese nationals caught inside a hotel recently uncovered as a Pogo hub was a city consultant.
In a post on his social media page on Friday, September 6, Chan clarified that the ID recovered from a certain Shouqui Zhao, which indicated he was a consultant for Chinese Business Promotions, was fake.
“Gusto lang nako ipahibalo sa tanan nga dakong FAKE ang nakumpiska nga ID ni Mr. Zhao sulod sa Tourist Garden Hotel. Sa panahon karon, dali ra kaayo ang pagpeke og ID. Makaya gani sa uban ang paghimo og peke nga driver’s license o bisan passport nga duol ra kaayu sa original maong ang ID ni Mr. Zhao dakong fake ug dili kini gikan sa City Hall,” read a portion of his post.
The mayor added that the city provides consultants with certifications instead of IDs.
“Para mamahimo sab kag consultant, kinahanglan pa sab nga moagi og makuti nga proseso sama sa BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) ug muagi pa sab sa pagtuki sa atong Konseho o sa Sangguniang Panlungsod. Kuti gani kaayu kung unsa ka Pinoy ang himuong consultant labi na kang Mr. Zhao nga usa ka langyaw ug mas daghang dokumento ang kinahanglanon,” he added.
Zhao was one of the 169 foreign nationals caught inside the Tourist Garden Hotel during a raid, which initially aimed to rescue a group of Indonesians believed to be illegally detained.
The 93 Chinese, 69 Indonesians, six Burmese, and one Malaysian national were allegedly held against their will and forced to work in internet-based scams at the hotel.
After the Pogo hub was discovered, the Bureau of Immigration filed charges against the 169 rescued foreigners for being undocumented and working in the Philippines without a visa.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) filed charges for qualified trafficking in persons against 16 foreign nationals who allegedly acted as recruiters.
Those charged were Chinese nationals Zhao, Shao Qi alias “Lao Fan;” Yang, Teng Da; Ke, Rong Mou alias “Jordan;” Ji, Hui alias “Xiao Xi;” Hu, Yonghong; Dai, Chun Lin; Zhong, Donglin alias “Edison;” Luo, Peng alias “Alang;” Ma, Yi; Shen, Wen Xia alias “Xi Xi;” Zhuang, Jian Guo alias “Wang Fang;” and Wen, Qi Zhen.
Also charged were Indonesian nationals Lona Halim, alias “Grace,” and Joni, alias “Gio,” as well as Burmese national San Thwe Thwe.
In addition, Filipino Zandrew Magdaluyo Cantarona was charged as an accessory to the crime. Charges are also being prepared against a Filipino hotel worker who allegedly tried to smuggle P8 million out of the hotel.
The foreigners were transported to Manila on Wednesday, September 4, where they will undergo deportation proceedings.
On Thursday, September 5, NBI-7 operatives served search warrants at the hotel and seized several electronic devices found at the Pogo hub.
From the afternoon until late at night, operatives confiscated computers, laptops, and mobile phones suspected to have been used in the suspects’ illegal activities.
Data from NBI-7 showed that a total of 93 laptops, 216 mobile phones, 18 desktops, 8 routers, 4 modems, one counting machine, and 61 SIM cards were seized. They also found 51 IDs, 26 notebooks, one safety vault, and cash in different currencies, including ₱31,805 in Philippine pesos, 80,000 Indonesian rupiahs, and 15,100 Myanmar kyats.
After the electronic devices undergo forensic examination, NBI-7 will determine the extent of the scams and identify the victims.
Earlier, the Office of the President also ordered the executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (ALC) to apply for the issuance of a freeze order on the assets of the Lapu-Lapu Pogo hub.
These assets include the “whole premises where the illegal IGL is operating with thirteen (13) buildings” and twelve vehicles parked within the hotel vicinity.