NBI-7 to verify Pogo-like activities in four areas in Cebu

The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) headquarters in Cebu City. | CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) is currently working to verify reports of Pogo-like activities in four different locations in Cebu.

Lawyer Renan Oliva, the NBI-7 director, said they were asked to verify these four sites following the discovery of a Pogo hub in a hotel in Brgy. Agus in Lapu-Lapu City, and another suspected Pogo hub in Moalboal town in southwestern Cebu.

“We have received many information of possible Pogo activity spread all over our region. We are verifying it. Once na ma-verify namo nga they are engaged in Pogo activities, i-operate namo the way we did sa katong sa Agus. It will be a multi agency [operation],” Oliva said.

READ: High-speed internet request led to Pogo discovery in Moalboal

However, Oliva admitted that the verification process will take time.

“It’s not easy to verify because secured ang area. So we have to monitor the activities,” he said.

READ: How to tell if a place might be a Pogo hub

Meanwhile, Oliva said that they continue to wait for the response from the Bureau of Immigration if the three Indonesian nationals, whose passports were found kept in a vault at the Lapu-Lapu City Pogo hub, remain in the country.

Search warrant

In addition, they are also waiting for the documents of the 38 foreign nationals who were caught at the alleged Pogo hub in Moalboal last October 9 to determine if the four missing Indonesian nationals that they are searching for were among them.

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

On Wednesday, October 23, NBI operatives served another search warrant at the Lapu-Lapu Pogo hub to examine the office and bedroom that were occupied by one its operators, Chinese national Zhao Shou Qi.

Zhao was among the 169 foreign nationals caught inside the Tourist Garden Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City last August 30.  Zhao, along with 15 other foreigners, were already charged with qualified trafficking in persons.

Oliva said that they will use the electrical gadgets and documents that were recovered from Zhao’s office on Wednesday in filing anti-money laundering charges against him and the other suspects.