BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The City Council is pushing to make this metropolis free from Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) and similar illegal activities by Chinese nationals and other undocumented immigrants.
The council passed a resolution expressing support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s total ban on POGOs to maintain public order and security in the city.
The council’s backing aligns with broader national concerns about the adverse effects of POGOs, including issues related to unregulated online gambling, human trafficking, and money laundering, among other social problems.
“The City will remain vigilant in preventing any resurgence of such activities and will take appropriate actions to address any violation effectively,” read the resolution authored by Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, chair of the Committee of the Whole.
The council, convening as Committee of the Whole, has declared that the issues relating to Chinese-led POGOs and other illegal immigrants lurking in the metropolis are “urgent and critical in nature” and require significant steps to safeguard the community and ensure an orderly environment.
In its report, the Committee acknowledged the “troubling presence” of illegal activities being carried out by illegal immigrants ranging from illegal gambling to human trafficking.
“These activities are purportedly conducted under the guise of legitimate businesses in residential areas, commercial buildings, and other locations, serving as fronts for organized criminal enterprise,” read the Committee report.
The Committee investigated “in aid of legislation” on the reported illegal activities of foreign nationals in the city.
These supposed illicit activities include unregulated gambling, human trafficking, and other similar illegal activities linked to Chinese-operated POGOs.
The probe was an offshoot of the reports received by local legislators that these undocumented aliens are even involved in various illegal activities in the metropolis.
The city councilors said they received reports that in some posh subdivisions, most of the occupants are Chinese or foreigners.
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Western Visayas earlier confirmed the presence of Chinese nationals engaging in illegal activities in Iloilo City when they visited the office of Rep. Julienne Baronda.
Such prompted Baronda to request the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the reported proliferation of Chinese nationals lurking in posh subdivisions in the city.
In her letter to DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla dated July 2, Baronda voiced concerns about the influx of Chinese nationals in some parts of Iloilo City, including Puerto Real de Iloilo in La Paz, Monterosa Subdivision in Mandurriao, and Ledesco Subdivision also in La Paz.
Baronda claimed the Chinese nationals reportedly purchased houses worth between P30 million and P50 million and owned luxury vehicles.
The lawmaker appealed to Remulla to instruct his men at the NBI and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to determine whether or not these individuals are engaged in illegal activities.
For his part, Mayor Jerry Treñas said that Iloilo City Police Office Director Police Col. Kim Legada visited the NBI-6 director and discussed the reported presence of Chinese nationals engaging in illegal activities in the city.
“We seek to coordinate with the monitoring and conduct possible law enforcement operations on the illegal activities committed by foreign nationals, especially Chinese individuals,” said Treñas.
In his press briefing last week, the mayor even challenged the NBI-6 agents to arrest Chinese nationals who engaged in illegal activities in the city.
Operatives of the 4th Special Operation Unit of the Regional Maritime Unit in Western Visayas (RMU-6) arrested a Chinese national for possession of more than P5.5 million of smuggled cigarettes in his rented warehouse in Gregorio Subdivision, Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur in the La Paz district on July 24.
Armed with a search warrant, authorities raided the warehouse and confiscated 83 boxes of undocumented cigarettes from James Chiu Chen.
The police said the smuggled items, which include brands like Mighty, Camel, Marvel, Winston, and Cannon Menthol, have reportedly originated from Malaysia.
In an interview, the 59-year-old Chinese said the cigarette supplies were imported into the Philippines by ship and delivered by Muslims from Manila to Iloilo City.
Police said Chen claimed he had been in the country for five years, but could not produce a passport when interrogated by investigators.
Apart from counterfeited cigarettes, the police also recovered during the search several firearms, including three calibers .45 pistols, a 9mm pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, three gun cases, several magazines for caliber 9mm, an ammunition box, and assorted ammunition.
In the resolution, the council noted that Marcos’ total ban on POGOs and other related illegal activities being perpetrated by foreigners is “a crucial step in addressing and curbing the serious criminal activities associated with these entities.”
“The Committee of the Whole urges the city to take immediate action in support of this resolution to ensure the safety and security of the residents of Iloilo City and to align with national directives aimed at combating illicit activities associated with POGOs,” the resolution read./PN
