Palace eyes PNP probe into sex dens for POGO workers

Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said those who are responsible for the operations of the prostitution rings in the country will be held accountable. (File Photo: Office of the Presidential Spokesperson/Facebook)

MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday wanted the Philippine National Police (PNP) to lead the investigation on the supposed proliferation of Chinese prostitution dens catering to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said those who are responsible for the operations of the prostitution rings in the country will be held accountable.

“PNP (will lead the probe because) it’s a crime,” the Palace official said.

“We will have that investigated. If that’s true then we have to do something about it, like stopping prostitution and arresting those who are involved in it,” he added.

Panelo’s statement came the same day when Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality chairperson Risa Hontiveros led the hearing on Chinese sex rings in the country.

During the Senate hearing, Hontiveros bared that Chinese workers in POGOs are hiring Filipina and foreign women for sex.

Screenshots from a group chat obtained by Hontiveros found that there have been “packages” offered to clients depending on the nationality of the sex worker and the length of service.

The National Bureau of Investigation in October last year rescued 91 Chinese and four Filipino women from a karaoke bar in Makati City that served as sex den for Chinese clients.

Early this month, Duterte sought the imposition of restrictions on POGOs to reduce the high cases of corruption, extortion, and kidnapping linked to the operations of the online gaming.

There are around 60 POGOs operating in the country, data from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation revealed.

On Nov. 23, 2019, Duterte set a three-day deadline for delinquent POGOs to settle their tax liabilities after the Finance department estimated PHP2 billion in withholding taxes from foreigners working in the gaming sector.

From January to August 2019, the Bureau of Internal Revenue collected PHP1.63 billion in withholding taxes from POGOS.

Meantime, at least six POGO-related kidnappings have been recorded from January to November 2019, based on the data from the Philippine National Police-Anti-kidnapping Group.