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Raided Bataan firm to file motion to quash warrant; employee to press charges

Article (news)

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<p><span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"></span>MANILA — The Malaysian-owned company raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) in late October is set to file a motion to quash the search warrant, as it denies allegations of human trafficking and operating as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) or under an Internet Gaming License (IGL), its legal counsel said Sunday.</p><p>In a media forum, lawyer Cherry Anne Dela Cruz of Central One Bataan PH, said the motion would be filed before a Malolos court in Bulacan on Monday.</p><p>The company seeks to regain access to its facility and the equipment seized by the operatives in a bid to resume operations as a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm.</p><p>“Mahigit isang linggo na po ‘yong lumipas since it happened, wala pa pong isinasampang kaso sa Central One. In fact, mauuna na nga po kami na magpa-file ng motion to quash po sa korte kasi obvious naman po na mayroong violations na nangyari,” Dela Cruz said.</p><p>(It has been more than a week since it happened and no case has been filed against Central One yet. In fact, we will be the first to file a motion to quash in court because it is obvious that violations have occurred.)</p><p>“Lisensya ang kinukuwestiyon niyo… may nangyaring deceit sa pagkuha niyo ng search warrant under the premise na mayroong human trafficking,” she added.</p><p>(You are questioning the license... there was deceit in the way you obtained the search warrant under the premise that there was human trafficking.)</p><p>Relieved PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio earlier claimed that the suspected POGO hub was allegedly involved in human trafficking, scamming, and other illegal activities.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:456px;height:705px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1855453314856677852&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Anews-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2024-11-10T05%3A13%3A28.757261%3Adc2abe15-a625-4a7b-8759-0bcd24a34330%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=39737e5a50d1c6946280e38a7bae367743fa273a&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1855453314856677852"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/2/paocc-bataan-pogo-engaged-in-scamming-human-trafficking-2210"><strong>PAOCC: Bataan POGO engaged in scamming, human trafficking</strong></a></div><p>Dela Cruz denied the accusations, asserting that the company is a legitimate BPO, not a POGO or IGL. She did, however, acknowledge that some of their clients are foreign gaming companies involved in sports betting.</p><p>“’Yong One Central is a BPO. Mayroon po kaming lisensya,” Dela Cruz told reporters. “Hindi po kami POGO, hindi kami gambling operator.”</p><p>(One Central is a BPO. We have a license... We are not a POGO, we are not a gambling operator.)</p><p>“From the result of the search, wala talagang human trafficking na sinasabi nila, wala din pong scams, wala din pong gaming, wala rin ‘yong mga ina-annouce nila na mga torture chamber, wala din ‘yong mga devices na cloning devices,” she added.</p><p>(From the result of the search, there was no human trafficking as they claimed, no scams, no gaming, no torture chambers as they announced and no cloning devices.)</p><p>Dela Cruz said the company employs 1,600 people, of whom 41 are foreign nationals, including one Chinese national.</p><p>This contradicts earlier reports that stated the company had 300 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese and Malaysians.</p><div><strong>Slander, physical injury</strong></div><p>Dela Cruz said the company will also provide assistance to its utility worker who was slapped by Casio, helping him file a slander case as well as a separate physical injury case, claiming he was also punched by another high-ranking official.</p><p>Casio has been relieved from his post and ordered to explain his alleged mistreatment of the worker. Footage of the incident has been circulating on social media.</p><p>The charges are expected to be filed in a Bagac court on Monday afternoon.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/5/paocc-spokesperson-relieved-from-post-for-allegedly-slapping-pogo-worker-929"><strong>READ: PAOCC spokesperson relieved from post for allegedly slapping POGO worker</strong></a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/6/chr-to-launch-probe-on-relieved-paocc-spox-for-allegedly-slapping-pogo-worker-1746"><strong>READ: CHR to launch probe on relieved PAOCC spox for allegedly slapping POGO worker</strong></a></div><p>“We’re still trying to get a CCTV footage of how it happened na pinagsusuntok din siya sa tagiliran,” Dela Cruz said.</p><p>(We&#x27;re still trying to get the CCTV footage of what happened, where he was also being punched in the side.)</p><p>In an earlier media interview, Casio admitted that his actions were wrong and said he&#x27;s “willing to face the music.”</p><p>ABS-CBN News reached out to Casio and PAOOC Undersecretary Gilberto Cruz to comment on One Central’s fresh statements.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_xc9nrK5dJ8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Malaysian-owned company raided by the PAOCC is set to file a motion to quash the search warrant, as it denies allegations of human trafficking and operating as a POGO and IGL.</p>

The Malaysian-owned company raided by the PAOCC is set to file a motion to quash the search warrant, as it denies allegations of human trafficking and operating as a POGO and IGL.