Mayor Alice Guo may be connected to Porac POGO hub — senator

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who conducted an ocular inspection at Lucky South 99 POGO hub with Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOOC) officials, led by Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, said Bamban Mayor Guo may also have connections with the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Porac, Pampanga.

“Based on the information, she has a connection here (POGOs), we can’t just divulge the details right now as the investigation is still ongoing… I can only say that the people she talked to were also seen here in this POGO. That’s the link that we are seeing,” Gatchalian said.

Cruz showed Gatchalian and members of the media three POGO buildings earlier raided by PAOCC.

“My first impression is that we have seen that this is the most brutal, violent, and largest (hub) we have ever been to. The evidence is really strong that there was torture, there was prostitution and they found a passport,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian also inspected the building where the employees stay and another where a KTV bar was located. The KTV building had many rooms on the second floor and where prostitution is suspected.

He added that the Bamban POGO hub could be connected with the raided POGO in Porac as these were both built from 2019 to 2022.

“Why were they able to build a facility where construction is prohibited? So, we can’t say now what the details of the links are, but it definitely has links to Bamban and Porac and other Pogo,” said the senator. “Because they are syndicates, they can set up a lot, we just can’t say now because it is still under investigation... the mastermind is in all the Pogo hubs.”

Gatchalian expressed disappointment that the local government unit (LGU) failed to inspect the POGO hub, even if they had the power to do so.

“My first question is how did it get into the LGU and barangay? The mayor has broad powers to inspect sanitation, electrical and general welfare of the public,” he added, noting that a mayor could not just claim innocence.

In a separate interview, PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio detailed the digital and paper trails that have increasingly implicated Guo in two scam farms raided by authorities.

“Her