3 nabbed for alleged kidnapping of POGO worker

Three people were nabbed in another kidnapping case linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday.

A Vietnamese-Chinese POGO worker, identified as Vong Cam Lan, was rescued by the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group in Angeles City on Saturday afternoon.

Police said the suspects held the victim inside a residential unit in Barangay Pampang.

The PNP added that the suspects refused to cooperate and give their names.

The suspects also claimed that their passports were taken from them by their employer.

They have been brought to Camp Crame for further investigation.

“I am strongly urging POGO operators to closely coordinate with the PNP on security concerns and to refrain from handling these matters on their own,” police chief Police General Debold Sinas said in a statement.

Several POGO-related kidnappings have been recorded this year, including one case in Parañaque in July, another in Las Piñas in August, and one in Pampanga in February.

The PNP said kidnapping cases rose in 2019 due to POGOs and casinos. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News