SUBIC Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman & Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said she welcomes a congressional inquiry into the alleged possible links of POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) Chinese employees and illegal drugs in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ).

“I welcome the probe to thresh out and expose any party illegally operating in Subic,” Eisma told Subic Bay News, “SBMA will cooperate in the investigation.”

The SBMA head made the statement after Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, initiated a congressional probe on the alleged links to illegal drugs of some POGO workers inside the Freeport following the arrest on Thursday (July 30) night of six (6) Chinese nationals trying to exit the Freeport with a kilo of shabu estimated to be worth P6.8M.

Eisma said “the successful apprehension of the 6 Chinese suspects, as well as recent buy-busts in the Freeport, resulted from the cooperation and support of SBMA law enforcers with other govt. agencies like the police and PDEA”

A composite team of government agencies led by the Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency-National Capital Region (PDEA-NCR), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Intelligence Service-Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group PNP-HPG collared the suspects at the Freeport’s Tipo Gate aboard a Nissan X-Trail vehicle.

Two other vehicles, a Toyota Alphard and Hi-Ace Van allegedly slipped through the team’s dragnet, however, that prompted Barbers, among other reasons, to seek the house inquiry.

““What is worrisome and suspicious is that only one (1) kilo of shabu was seized or ‘declared’ to have been seized from the suspects,” Barbers said in an earlier statement, “Hindi siguro sasama pa ang ISAFP at NICA sa ops ng PDEA-NCR kung paisa-isang kilo lang ang lakad na ito.”

“Kung totoong minonitor at pinostehan in a period of time ng ating mga anti-drug at intel agents and mga suspects, sigurado na malalaman nila kung sino-sino ang mga ito at ang kanilang mga kasabwat, pati na mga sasakyan na gamit nila,” he added.

POGO firms in the Subic Bay Freeport employ thousands of Chinese from Communist China to cater to gamblers in mainland China, online.

Housed in hotels, some already operating exclusively for POGO firms, as well as former schools and a former hospital, they enjoy limited interference even from SBMA authorities, whose inspection attempt at the height of the lockdown due to the Covid-19 (Wuhan Virus) pandemic to check if it really ceased operations, was denied. (VVV)

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“Worrisome and suspicious is that only one (1) kilo of shabu was seized or ‘declared’ to have been seized from the suspects” – Barbers

            SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is seeking a congressional probe on the alleged links to illegal drugs of some Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ) where firms enjoy preferential tax treatment. 

            Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, made the call after six Chinese nationals were caught in a dragnet by a composite government law enforcement team for possession of one kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million while about to exit at the Tipo Gate of the Freeport Thursday night (July 30).  

            The arrested suspects, who are believed workers seen frequently with their vehicles at the POGO area at Cubi in the Freeport were identified as Jiang Peng, Liu Qiao Zhi, Huang Du, Chen Pingxing, Xia Fayong and Fan Sheng Jian. 

            “While I cannot yet determine if they were really Subic POGO workers, it has been established and recorded that the suspects on board their vehicles had been frequently monitored to be frequenting and entering at least two units at the POGO compound at Crown Peak in Subic,” he said. 

            Apprehended while aboard a Nissan X-Trail ((XTP-513) in the guise of having committed traffic violations, the suspects yielded a Cal. 45 pistol with seven live bullets, mobile phones, IDs, wallets and passports. 

            Barbers said the lawmen involved in the operation include agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-NCR), Intelligence Service-Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and the local police, indicating the immensity of the drug-sting operation. 

            “The involvement of PDEA-NCR, the ISAFP and NICA in this drug sting operation indicate they were after big-time drug dealers with huge drugs shipment. Hindi siguro sasama pa ang ISAFP at NICA sa ops ng PDEA-NCR kung paisa-isang kilo lang ang lakad na ito,” he said. 

            “And what is worrisome and suspicious is that only one (1) kilo of shabu was seized or ‘declared’ to have been seized from the suspects. This, despite na malakas na ugong sa mga kwentuhan sa Subic na more than 300 kilos ng shabu ang nakuha sa mga suspects,” he added. 

            According to Barbers, there were also reports that the composite government team failed to capture and apprehend other cohorts of the arrested suspects who were on board a Toyota Alphard and Hi-Ace vans.  

            “Kung totoong minonitor at pinostehan in a period of time ng ating mga anti-drug at intel agents and mga suspects, sigurado na malalaman nila kung sino-sino ang mga ito at ang kanilang mga kasabwat, pati na mga sasakyan na gamit nila. Ang problema, nakalusot daw sa dragnet nila ang mga suspects na nasa Toyota Alphard at Hi-Ace vans. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Nakalusot ba o pinalusot?” he said. 

            Some POGOs have registered their firms inside the Subic Freeport Zone to enjoy preferential tax treatment. But they later establish the bulk of their operations in Metro Manila, particularly in Makati, Paranaque, Quezon City and Paranaque, to skirt payment of right amount of taxes. 

            Said gaming firms, manned mostly by Chinese workers, has created social tension with Filipinos and bred crime, including fraud, illegal drugs trafficking, kidnap-for-ransom, human trafficking and prostitution catering to the workers, among others. (VVV)

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