By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Contrary to the claim of  Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan that there are no Phillippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the highly urbanized city, more than 100 foreign nationals, including Chinese, Indonesians, and Burmese from Myanmar, were rescued from a suspected illegal POGO hub in a hotel in Barangay Agus.

The raid on Saturday (31 August 2024) was conducted by personnel of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-7, together with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), Bureau of Immigration, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO).

“We were just to rescue the Indonesian nationals kaya lang pagdating namin dito, in flagrante delicto (caught in the act), nakita namin mayroon mga scam farm run by Chinese, Indonesians, and from Myanmar,” PAOCC spokesperson Winston Romeo Casio disclosed in a press conference.

He confirmed that the raided facility inside Tourist Garden Hotel was operating as a POGO hub.

“This is a 100-percent illegal POGO,” Casio pointed out.

He further bared that the raid in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday was initiated following a request from the Indonesian Embassy, after three Indonesian nationals, who had stayed in the resort, managed to escape.

The Lapu-Lapu City mayor was conspicuously absent during the raid.

Police Lt. Col. Christian Torres, spokesperson for the LLCPO, confirmed that they received intelligence reports about the existence of suspected hubs operating in the area.

For his part, Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco believes that resort owners should also be held accountable and face charges if they harbor illegal aliens on their premises.

“We will suggest to the authorities to file cases against resort owners to allow their properties to be used by illegal aliens in their covert operations,” the BI chief said in a statement.

ia/mnm

By Junex Doronio 

IT’S GONNA BE AN EXCITING “NEW BATTLE OF MACTAN!”

This is the exhilarating anticipation of many residents in the highly urbanized city of Lapu-Lapu after they were turned off by what they call blatant meddling of local officials in the recently-concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) that was swept by candidates openly endorsed by Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan.

Talks have been swirling that in the upcoming 2025 polls, Ako Bisaya party-list Representative Sonny Lagon is now going to wrest the mayoral seat from Ahong Chan’s grip.

Learning from his former patron, the Radaza political dynasty that ruled for 18 long years, Chan is now building his dynasty with his wife Cindi as the incumbent representative of Lapu-Lapu City’s lone district, and daughter Daday who won as barangay captain of Basak, the largest in the 30 barangays of Lapu-Lapu City.

Local political observers said that Chan, a member of the PDP-Laban faction of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, will be facing a formidable opponent in Ako Bisaya party-list Rep. Sonny Lagon whose wife Daphne is the incumbent congresswoman of the 6th district of Cordova in Mactan island and Consolacion in Cebu island province.

The Lagon couple in the House of Representatives is more identified with Speaker Ferdinand Martin G.  Romualdez.

To recall, in April the Ako Bisaya party-list representative said the “involved leadership” of Romualdez has resulted in high survey ratings for the lower chamber and for the Speaker himself.

“And we, as members [of the House], emulate the diligence we see in our leaders. This is truly genuine leadership by example,” Sonny Lagon said.

Lagon, who is a vice chairman of the House Committees on Ways and Means and on Games and Amusement, stressed the “inspiring kind” of Romualdez’s leadership.

“What we have is an ‘involved leadership’ that allows House leaders and members a free rein on their respective duties and responsibilities without the need for micromanagement,” he noted.

Although Sonny Lagon has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors many Oponganons (residents of Lapu-Lapu City whose old name was Opon) now really want to see genuine change and development.

Not just in TikTok and claims by trolls.

Photo courtesy: Flickr

(ai/mnm)