June 13, 2024
MANILA – An “outstanding service medal” for a Chinese military sergeant, along with more People’s Liberation Army (PLA) uniforms and boots, was discovered in the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub in Pampanga.
According to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston John Casio, the medal was found in one of the establishments’ buildings, while three more sets of PLA uniforms were discovered in various parts of the complex, bringing the total to six.
“We were able to find this only this afternoon. We only found one medal in Phase 3. I’ll clarify the exact building number,” Casio told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview on Wednesday.
READ: Pogo raid in Pampanga yields suspected Chinese military uniforms, pins
“We were able to find six sets [of uniforms] and two [pairs] of military boots; we are still counting them because it is still ongoing. We will stop around 8 to 9 p.m. Around that time, we can provide the details on the items found today,” Casio said.
On Tuesday, Casio disclosed that the first three PLA uniforms and military pins were found over the establishment’s dorms, villas, and offices on June 10.
Last week, PAOCC and joint operatives of the Philippine National Police units conducted the raid, resulting in the “apprehension” of over 190 individuals inside the Pogo complex along Friendship Highway, Angeles City.
READ: Pogo sites near Philippine military bases likened to ‘Trojan horse’
PAOCC said its operation stemmed from a warrant issued by Presiding Judge Maria Belinda Rama of Malolos Regional Trial Court, Branch 14, against officers and employees of Lucky South 99, which the commission said is “the biggest facility in Pampanga with a reported total number of 46 buildings including villas and other structures, as well as a golf course.”
The warrant, on the other hand, was issued following a report PAOCC received from confidential informants detailing how a female foreigner was sexually trafficked in the area and male foreigners were tortured.