Human Toll of POGOs: Prosecutors detail debt bondage, torture, forced labor in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines — Online gaming hubs, called POGOs, have long been shadowed by allegations of unlawful activities, with human trafficking emerging as one of the gravest concerns.

On Tuesday, September 10, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) filed trafficking in persons complaints Cassandra Ong, an incorporator of Whirldwind Corp. and the alleged owner of Lucky South 99. The company is a POGO based in Porac, Pampanga.

Ong, who is accused with 53 others, face charges tied to human trafficking activities months after the June 5 raid of Lucky South 99. The police operation was in response to reports of disturbing incidents within its compound.

During the raid, Special Action Force operators were alerted by cries for help, leading them to a grim discovery—a Chinese POGO worker showing signs of torture.

In a separate room, they found another Chinese man, bruised and handcuffed to a bed frame.

These victims are among the 14 victims now standing as complainants against Ong and her alleged associates. Of the 14, ten are foreigners, while the remaining four are Filipinos.

In an interview with Philstar.com, Escalona said the victims are stuck in a cycle of trafficking as they are sold to other POGOs for forced labor whenever their debts are nearly paid. 

"[A victim] incurred a debt of P300,000 to P400,000. He was taken to a POGO to work in order to pay off the debt and was not released until it was fully paid," Escalona said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Escalona explained that the victims are bought, and when they are nearing an impasse or close to paying off their remaining balance, they are sold to another POGO.

"So, the victims just keep getting transferred from one place to another," he said.  

Some of the indebted workers no longer wanted to work, knowing they're involved in scams. Should they decide not to perform their duties, they are hurt or tortured.

"They're still forced to work as long as they owe a debt to the company," Escalona added. 

Philstar.com has reached out to Ong's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio for a comment about the case, but he has yet to reply.

The case filed against the