Ex-Cebu City Mayor Osmeña invited to house probe on POGOs, EJKs

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has been summoned to a joint committee meeting at the House of Representatives on September 19, 2024.

Osmeña is being invited to provide insights into the recent raid on an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) site in Lapu-Lapu City and ongoing investigations into extrajudicial killings.

In a letter dated, September 16, the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts invited  Osmeña to attend a hearing on Thursday to serve as a resource person.

The committee is investigating the operations of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and their potential links to extra-judicial killings, including an August raid in Lapu-Lapu City.

Osmeña, who served as mayor of Cebu City for multiple terms, is expected to provide testimony regarding the August 8 raid in Sitio Kadulang, Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City, during which authorities uncovered a large illegal POGO operation.

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The raid resulted in the rescue of 162 foreign nationals, including 83 Chinese, 70 Indonesians, six Myanmar nationals, one Malaysian, and two Taiwanese, who were allegedly involved in illegal scamming activities. The illegal hub operated inside the Tourist Garden Hotel in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City.

“The Joint Committee is aware of the recent POGO raid in Sitio Kadulang, Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on 08 August 2024. Your testimonies might provide insights and vital information for possible legislations,” the letter read.

Osmeña was mayor of Cebu City from 1989 to 1995, 2001 to 2010, and 2016 to 2019.

Moreover, the committee aims to gather information from various local officials and stakeholders to identify potential policy responses to the issue of illegal POGOs and extra-judicial killings.

Osmeña’s participation is seen as critical due to his long-standing involvement in Cebu’s governance, though he has yet to confirm his stance on the matter.

Osmeña: No comments for now

Meanwhile, Osmeña declined to make any public statements when reached by CDN Digital on Tuesday, September 17, stating, “No comments for now.”

This hearing comes shortly after a controversial development involving Police Colonel Royina Garma, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager, and former Cebu City police director.

The House of Representatives ordered Garma to be detained on September 12, after being cited for contempt. She was accused of providing evasive and dishonest responses during the inquiry, which led to her detention.

Garma had been summoned to testify regarding the alleged extra-judicial killings of three convicted Chinese drug lords in 2016.

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Garma’s connection to the case dates back to August 2016, when three Chinese nationals, convicted of drug trafficking, were killed just two months into President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

A former jail warden implicated Garma in these killings, triggering her appearance before the House committee. The case has gained renewed attention as lawmakers seek to unravel a wider network of illegal activities, including POGO-related crimes.

The committee’s focus on Osmeña comes at a time of increasing scrutiny on local officials’ roles in addressing criminal activities tied to illegal POGOs, a problem that has rapidly expanded in the Visayas region.

With recent raids exposing the magnitude of the issue, the joint committee is under pressure to produce meaningful legislative outcomes.