Philippine Senate opens inquiry into crimes linked to Chinese-run offshore gambling operators
- Numerous criminal activities have been connected with Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators, from murders and kidnappings to prostitution dens
- The Senate’s investigation began after it was revealed last month that Philippine immigration officials were taking bribes from Chinese nationals
The complaint was made in a video presentation to the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, popularly known as the blue-ribbon committee, by residents of Multinational Village, a gated community in Paranaque City, south of Manila.
Sonia Lopez, one of the members of the homeowners’ group, told the committee they had managed to put a stop to firing range plan, which another unnamed resident said was intended “to teach gun enthusiasts [among the Chinese workers] to be responsible gun owners” – this despite private gun ownership being illegal in China and foreigners being barred from owning or carrying guns under Philippine law.
Multinational Village, about five kilometres from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and nine kilometres from Villamor Air Base of the Philippine Air Force, used to be a quiet, gated residential community, homeowners’ group spokesman Mel Marquez told senators.
But the rise of Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) in recent years has brought about a “dramatic increase” in Chinese nationals, he said, with the neighbourhood’s single-family dwellings now crammed with as many as 200 workers who overload the power network and cause garbage to pile up. He further blamed the 500 or so buses and vans that ferry them back and forth every day for causing congestion and damaging the area’s roads.