Gordon urged to provide info on spies in POGOs

Panelo said Gordon should “help the government” by providing information so that authorities could properly address the matter. (File Photo: Albert Calvelo/PRIB via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon should share his discoveries and provide proof that China may be using Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) for intelligence gathering in the country, Malacañang said on Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this statement after Gordon, in a radio interview, claimed that alleged members of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were using POGOs to finance its intelligence activities.

“If the good senator has information on that, I think they should provide us with intelligence reports so that we can pursue their line of belief on that matter,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Panelo said Gordon should “help the government” by providing information so that authorities could properly address the matter.

He said the Palace may conduct its own investigation into alleged Chinese spies. However, he said President Rodrigo Duterte will most “likely” wait for results of the ongoing Senate investigation.

Meanwhile, he assured that anything that goes against the interest of the country is a cause of concern by the government.

Any violation of any Immigration Law will not be tolerated, he added.

Gordon earlier claimed that PLA members may have infiltrated POGOs for intelligence gathering after identification cards of alleged PLA members were discovered from the two Chinese shooting suspects arrested in Makati City last week.

Panelo said the incident is now being investigated by law enforcement agencies.

Earlier, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) flagged the POGO industry for being a “high risk” for money laundering based on the outcome of their risk assessment on the industry in December 2019

AMLC has also been tasked to look into Chinese nationals who had brought huge amounts of money into the country.

Citing records from the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Gordon said it was likely that the money would be laundered in the Philippines.