Raid on Porac resort where incorporators, POGO big bosses allegedly stay yields tunnel, secret rooms

Authorities found an underground tunnel and secret rooms in an exclusive resort in Porac, Pampanga, according to Saleema Refran’s 24 Oras report on Monday.

The Pampanga police raided, by virtue of a search warrant, the two-hectare resort on Saturday morning as part of efforts to search for the bosses of the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub Lucky South 99.

The incorporators and Chinese big bosses of Lucky South 99 – the illegal POGO that was raided by authorities because of suspected illegal activities such as various scams, kidnapping, illegal detention, torture, human trafficking, and sex trafficking – allegedly stay in the resort.

“Hinahanap pa rin po natin yung mga sinasabi nilang mga Chinese na nakatakas. Yung mga boss na wala pa at purpose nga [ng raid], baka sa human trafficking, meron pa tayo makuha,” Pampanga Governonr Dennis Pineda.

(We are still searching for the Chinese escapees, the bosses that are still missing, and the purpose of this raid is to see if we can rescue more human trafficking victims.)

The structures inside the exclusive resort are well-made. It has a garden and a man-made lagoon. It also has a parking area and a helipad compound.

Inside the villas are expensive objects and furniture, and KTV and game rooms.

The resort is well guarded with CCTV and dogs.

“Bagsakan ng mga bosses siguro kasi talaga for VIP lahat yung setup. Different rooms. So, kung titingnan mo, talagang siguro para sa mga VIP lang talaga yung pumapasok doon. Then, they have helipad. So, talagang maganda yung lugar,” Pineda said.

(The resort may be where the bosses spend their time because the setup is for VIPs. It has different rooms so if we observe, it is for VIPs only. Then, they have a helipad. So, the place is really beautiful.)

Authorities were surprised to discover an underground tunnel connecting the villa and the pavilion in the middle of the lagoon.

Tunnel, secret rooms uncovered

Along the tunnel, there are secret rooms hidden within the walls.

The underground tunnel found in the resort is like the one in the POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac. The difference is that the resort has secret rooms.

A small garage at the resort, meanwhile, leads to an indoor firing range.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered slugs of 9 millimeters and caliber 45 guns to undergo ballistic examination.

“Meron naman tayo kasi mga cold cases na iniimbestigahan sa ngayon. At doon sa mga body, yung mga namatay na nakuha tayo ng mga slugs, and then we will compare these slugs, yung mga nakuha natin dito, kung yung baril na ginamit dito, ayun din ang baril, yung mga baril na ginamit po sa mga namatay,” said PAOCC executive director Gilbert Cruz.

(We have cold cases currently under investigation. We got slugs from the dead bodies, and we will compare these slugs to the ones we got from the resort. We will check if it is from the same guns.

The firing range has no permit from the Philippine National Police while some of the structures on the resort have no building permits.

Meanwhile, two Filipino incorporators and six caretakers are under the custody of authorities.

Subject of search warrant

The police were unable to find Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, the subject of the search warrant and an authorized representative of Lucky South 99 in the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

“Based po sa investigation po namin na dito po siya nag-stay. So, isa po yun sa nag-conduct po tayo ng search warrant po. Siya po ay isa sa mga incorporators and also stockholders po ng Whirlwind Corporation po. Halos isa lang po yung mga incorporators natin and then stockholders dun sa Lucky South 99,” said Porac Police chief P/ Lt. Col. Samuel Quibete.

(Based on our investigation, she is staying here. That is one of the reasons why we had a search warrant. She is one of the incorporators and stockholders of Whirlwind Corporation. It seems that the incorporators and stockholders of Lucky South 99 are the same people.)

Ong is among the people listed on the immigration lookout bulletin order released by the Department of Justice, that include suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo and her brother due to possible involvement in human trafficking activities.

Meanwhile, Pampanga mayors have agreed to ban POGOs in the province. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News