Abalos wants Pasay police officials probed over raided POGO hub

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong> — The chief of the Pasay City police and the commander of the sub-station in the area where authorities raided an unlicensed online gaming hub for alleged sex trafficking should be investigated for inaction, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said Sunday.</p><p>In a letter to Police Gen. Benjamin Accorda Jr., Philippine National Police chief, Abalos also recommended the relief of the commander and personnel of the police sub-station, subject to Commission on Election guidelines on transfers during the election period.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/27/23/pnp-to-declare-full-alert-status-from-oct-28-for-bske">PNP to declare full alert status from Oct. 28 for BSKE</a></li></ul><p>&quot;It is highly improbable to think that an entire six-story building essentially dedicated to criminal activity, involving almost 600 potential victims, could somehow escape the notice of the local Sub-Station Commander,” Abalos said.</p><p>The company&#x27;s license was revoked in September, but it had kept on operating. More than 700 workers were rescued in the raid on the company, which authorities said also offered illicit services.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2857558" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Pasay Police Station 1 is near F.B. Harrison and Williams Streets, where the raid on Philippine Overseas Gaming Operator Smart Web Technology Corp. happened.</p><p>The Pasay City police also has 10 sub-stations across the city, including one on Roxas Boulevard.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/28/23/pogo-hub-in-pasay-raided-for-alleged-prostitution">Unlicensed POGO hub in Pasay raided for alleged prostitution</a></li></ul><p>Abalos, who chairs the National Police Commission, said he was ordering the investigation as part of the commission’s mandate to administer and control the PNP.</p><p>&quot;The trafficking of human beings is a horror that we must stamp out. Any complicity by government agents in this modern-day evil cannot be tolerated,” Abalos also said.</p><p>The raiding team found various facilities, including bedrooms, a KTV area, a spa offering illicit services, a clinic, a canteen, a mini-grocery store, and a room referred to as an &quot;aquarium,&quot; where foreign nationals would allegedly choose women to hire.</p><p>They also found a &quot;menu&quot; written in Chinese, where clients could choose different sexual services.</p><div><strong>Calls to ban POGOs</strong></div><p>Following the discovery of the POGO hub&#x27;s involvement in alleged prostitution, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to completely and immediately ban POGOs in the Philippines.</p><p>&quot;This is probably the worst that POGOs have ever been. It’s profoundly disturbing. What we’re witnessing here is essentially a self-contained hub for sexual exploitation and slavery,&quot; Gatchalian said in a statement.</p><p>Gatchalian also said the incident proves the concerns that lawmakers have about POGOs and the criminal activities associated with these companies.</p><p>As chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Gatchalian has been calling for the expulsion of POGOs in the country, citing several criminal activities connected to the industry.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/05/23/most-pogo-related-crime-victims-speak-chinese-pnp-chief">Majority of POGO-related crime victims speak Chinese, says PNP chief</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/20/23/gatchalians-push-to-expel-pogos-gets-senators-support">Gatchalian-led push to expel POGOs gets senators&#x27; support</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/emoeC62ZNcQ?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

'Any complicity by government agents in this modern-day evil cannot be tolerated,” Abalos said.

Abalos wants Pasay police officials probed over raided POGO hub | ABS-CBN

Halalan 2025

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

Traffic

News

Abalos wants Pasay police officials probed over raided POGO hub

Abalos wants Pasay police officials probed over raided POGO hub

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 29, 2023 04:25 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 29, 2023 11:28 PM PHT

Read More:

Pasay City

Philippine Online Gaming Operators

POGOs

human trafficking

sex trafficking

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.