By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Amid the challenges of dismantling Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) despite President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ban them immediately, was it a case of “Deus Ex Machina” that led to the discovery of POGO hubs in Lapu-Lapu City?
“Deus ex machina” refers to a plot device in which an unsolvable problem is abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence.
On Saturday, September 7, 2024, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston Casio admitted they were surprised by the discovery of POGO hubs during a rescue operation at Tourist Garden Hotel Resort in Barangay Agus, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
Casio revealed that their mission was initially based on a request from the Indonesian Embassy after three Indonesians escaped from the POGO hub.
“We received a request from the Indonesian embassy regarding a July 21 escape of individuals being held at the hotel. The escapees reported that 13 more were still inside, so we proceeded with a rescue mission,” Casio explained.
He added, “What shocked us was the presence of three POGO farms inside the facility when we arrived.”
One of the arrested Chinese nationals, Shouqi Zhao, was identified as the “boss” of the suspected illegal POGO hub. Zhao was found with an ID indicating he was a consultant for Chinese Business Promotions under the Office of the Mayor.
However, in a social media post on Friday, September 6, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan strongly denied Zhao’s affiliation, stating that the ID was fake.
A reliable source told Maharlika NuMedia that additional POGO hubs remain in Barangay Basak, where the mayor’s daughter serves as barangay chief, and in Barangay Mactan.
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