Rundown: What was revealed in House quadcom hearing on POGOs

MANILA, Philippines — During the fourth joint public hearing on Wednesday, September 4, members of the House quad committee continued their probe into the drug-related extrajudicial killings and the illegal operations of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. 

Lawmakers interrogated three resource persons, each revealing key details to the ongoing investigations. Here is a rundown of what were disclosed during the hearing.  

Padilla served as a warden at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm from 2015 to 2018. As the warden, he confirmed with lawmakers that he is in charge of supervising and managing all that goes on in the penal colony. 

When he was contacted by retired police lieutenant colonel Royina Garma, Padilla said that he understood Garma’s order as “eliminating the three Chinese nationals.” He also said that he believes Garma to be the brains of the operation.

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The Chinese Nationals were killed by two detainees, Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Untalan Tan Jr., who were transferred to the same cell in August 2016.    

Padilla, however, maintained that he objected to the transfers of these three Chinese nationals and the two inmates in Davao Prison. 

Due to the limited information he was sharing with the quadcom, Padilla was granted the executive session he requested.   

Ong is an incorporator, sharing 58% of the real estate firm Whirlwind Corp., who served as the personal translator of Whirlwind executive Duanren Wu. She is also the goddaughter of Wu, whom she said is her mother’s best friend. 

Ong denied her involvement in the operations of Lucky South 99, a formerly registered POGO in Porac, Pampanga. However, documents on the company’s account payments listed her as its authorized representative for settling its account. She said that the cash used came from the assistant of Cheng, the POGO’s owner.

Ong confirmed to lawmakers that Whirlwind and Lucky South 99 had the same owners before they sold the latter firm in 2023. 

Ong first said that she gave $500,000 USD, in parts, to convicted government official