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CEBU CITY, Philippines – There is a high possibility that the 38 Chinese nationals who were recently discovered inside a suspected Pogo hub in Moalboal, Cebu were part of the group previously caught inside a raided hotel in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu.
This was according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).
Pelare told reporters that they were looking into the possibility that the Chinese nationals originally came from the Tourist Garden Hotel, which was identified as a Pogo hub where 169 foreign nationals were found in a rescue operation last August 30.
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At around 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, law enforcers uncovered the presence of 38 Chinese nationals inside an isolated resort located seven kilometers from the highway in Barangay Saavedra, Moalboal town, Cebu.
This was the result of a routine inspection that was conducted after the local government unit found that the resort did not have a business permit.
Undocumented foreigners
When operatives arrived at the establishment, they were shocked to see that there were many undocumented Chinese nationals who have been staying there for some time.
Pelare said that the foreigners, who could not speak English and were unable to present their passports, were then taken into custody.
Operatives also found 34 computer sets, four laptops, and more than 200 mobile phones inside the resort.
Pending further investigation, law enforcers have yet to confirm if the resort was indeed utilized as a Pogo hub. However, there were indicators that would suggest that Pogo-like activities were operated in the establishment.
“We cannot, with certainty, declare or tell you that mao na ning gitawag nato nga Pogo. But we will be conducting a thorough investigation. But there are indicators: daghang cellphone, daghang computer sets, and the foreigners are undocumented,” said Pelare.
(We cannot, with certainty, declare or tell you that this is what we call Pogo. But we will be conducting a thorough investigation. But there are indicators: Many cellphone, many computer sets, and the foreigners are undocumented.)
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Pelare also said that the foreigners checked in at the resort which was owned by a Caucasian man and his Filipina wife, last September 24.
They have allegedly been exclusively renting the establishment since.
Authorities believed that they came from a different area and were recently transferred to Moalboal, which might have been purposefully selected because of its seclusion.
“We believe nga gikan sila from another place and they have transferred to Moalboal to conduct their operations. And probably, over a period of time mobalhin na pud sila,” said Pelare.
(We believe that they came from another place and they have transferred to Moalboal to conduct their operations. And probably, over a period of time, they will also transfer to another place.)
Probe on link to Lapu-Lapu Pogo hub
He said that they are investigating the possibility that the 38 individuals might have been part of the large group of foreigners who were discovered inside the Lapu-Lapu Pogo hub two months ago. Many of those previously rescued foreigners were also escapees of a Pogo hub that was raided in Pampanga.
Since their arrival in Moalboal, the Chinese nationals were allegedly never allowed to leave the property. Due to this, police are investigating whether they are victims of human trafficking and whether their passports were forcibly taken from them.
“[That] is one of the things that we are looking at: if they are victims of human trafficking, if there was illegal detention being committed against them. And if we can prove that or we can have evidence towards that end then we will be filing charges against the one nga nag-operate or nag-organize ani nga mga activities (who operated or organized these activities.),” stated Pelare.
As part of the ongoing investigation, police have asked for assistance from the Chinese consulate to provide an interpreter who can establish proper communication with the foreigners.
This communication would also help authorities determine if there were operators among the foreigners taken into custody, said Pelare.
Deeper investigation done
As of this writing, authorities are conducting a deeper investigation in coordination with the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIDU), Regional Anti-cyber Crime Unit in Central Visayas (RACU-7), Bureau of Immigration, and the Department of Justice.
They will be checking with the Bureau of Immigration the possible violations made by the undocumented foreigners. Police will also be investigating whether the couple who owns the hotel should be held liable.
Furthermore, police will be applying for a search warrant for computer data to inspect the contents of the devices confiscated from the establishment.
Following the discovery of another alleged Pogo hub in Cebu, Pelare said that they would continue to go after these illegal activities through a whole of government approach in order to ensure that Central Visayas would be rid of similar operations.
“We can get information about this one. And because of that, we will conduct more operations, visitations, inspections. Actually, we have been doing this since the Lapu-Lapu incident. We are proactive. We want to make sure nga walay (that there are) Pogo or Pogo-like activities nga mag-exist sa atong that exist in our [area of responsibility],” he said.