Casio's dismissal is just the beginning? Badan Central One counterattacks against anti-POGO operations.

Former President of the Anti-Organized Crime Committee (PAOCC) spokesperson Winston Casio could never have imagined that he would be suspended for participating in a raid against Central One in Badan PH.

On October 31, Casio, along with other PAOCC law enforcement officers, raided Badan PH Central One based on a search warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Malolos City, Bulacan Province, on the grounds that the facility was suspected of human trafficking. During the search, Casio impulsively slapped a Filipino worker at Central One.

Unexpectedly, on November 5, a video of Casio slapping the Filipino worker surfaced on social media and quickly went viral, leading to public condemnation of Casio's actions. Soon after, Casio apologized for the incident and explained that he and the PAOCC personnel were insulted and provoked. Nevertheless, PAOCC decided to temporarily suspend Casio.

It seemed like the matter would end there, but subsequent developments were somewhat unexpected.

Central One's Counterattack

First, Albert Garcia, a congressman from the second district of Badan, condemned the PAOCC's raid on Central One.

Speaking in the House of Representatives, Garcia said, "Today I stand here to discuss an issue closely related to the welfare of the people I represent, as well as the dignity of Badan's workforce and investors." He stated that the raid on Central One exposed serious mistakes by law enforcement agencies and a shocking disregard for due process.

Garcia noted that the raid violated the principles of humane treatment and due process of PAOCC, the Philippine National Police Region 3, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the Philippine Armed Forces.

"When the raid began, all employees, both Filipinos and foreigners, were forcibly detained and held in different locations, and despite no evidence of suspected human trafficking being collected during the search, they were deprived of their freedom of movement and even the right to use their mobile phones," he added.

The official further stated that the employees were ordered to put their hands on their heads, and most were instructed to lie face down on the ground. Garcia also mentioned that the ordeal of these foreign workers was "even more painful, despite possessing necessary documents such as foreign employment permits and investor visas, they were still labeled as unwelcome foreigners.

This incident indeed had a chilling effect on both the workers and the company, casting a shadow over the purpose of the economic zone aimed at fostering growth and opportunities."

Secondly, the Central One employee who was slapped by Casio filed a lawsuit against him. On Monday, the victim filed a lawsuit for "defamation" with the prosecutor's office in Badan Province. The victim's lawyer stated that after government officials accused him of disrespecting their staff, Casio slapped his client three times.

Garcia called Casio a "bully who preys on the weak," stating he "does not deserve that position, nor any position of power." He said, "Casio will face all available legal and criminal proceedings for abusing my constituents."

Third, Central One also filed a motion on Tuesday with the Malolos Court in Bulacan Province to revoke the seizure of facilities and equipment that had been confiscated since the PAOCC issued the search warrant against Central One.

Fourth, under the guarantee of Albert Garcia, congressman of the second district of Badan, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has ordered the temporary release of 41 foreign workers who were raided at Central One Badan, allowing them temporary freedom without bail, provided they comply with the condition of reporting to the immigration office twice a month and being placed on a deferred departure list.

After these actions, PAOCC was left embarrassed, and Central One emerged victorious.

What exactly is Central One?

Central One was established by two Filipinos, a Singaporean, and a Malaysian. In 2023, they amended the company's articles of incorporation to change the main scope of the company's business to "engage in any activities limited to interactive and online entertainment and gaming activities and similar activities as well as live content, and to employ service providers to engage in the aforementioned activities, limited to offshore and online transactions, and only for individuals holding Philippine passports."

As of 2024, the beneficial owners of Central One are two Malaysian nationals, holding a total of 82% of the shares.

According to the company's legal advisor, Cherry Anne Dela Cruz, this Malaysian company firmly denies their involvement in any human trafficking mentioned in the search warrant and denies that they operate as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).

She added that the company is a business process outsourcing (BPO) company, a legitimate investor registered with the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB).

It is alleged that Casio accused the company of participating in human trafficking, online fraud, and other illegal activities, but Central One's legal advisor Dela Cruz stated that the company is a legitimate BPO, not a gambling operator. She added that among the 1,600 employees of Central One Bataan, only 41 are foreign workers, not the 300 Chinese and Malaysian foreign workers reported in the media.

PAOCC's Embarrassing Mess

If the accuser's statements are true, PAOCC indeed acted very unprofessionally and recklessly in this raid, perhaps accustomed to their previous authority, not expecting to encounter such resistance this time.

First, they definitely received a tip-off for the raid, but the information was clearly inaccurate.

Secondly, the search warrant they applied for was for human trafficking (perhaps carelessly), but the target was very clear—it was aimed at Chinese individuals, but the results were disappointing as these people all had legal work visas, and the majority were Filipinos.

The third point is that PAOCC's law enforcement was rough and did not follow the legally prescribed procedures for civilized law enforcement, treating everyone as criminal suspects without verifying the facts, such as ordering everyone to put their hands on their heads, most people being ordered to lie face down on the ground, and some being slapped.

Perhaps it was PAOCC's actions that provoked public outrage, leading to the Philippine public's denunciation of Casio slapping a worker, and Congressman Garcia's anger. This serves as a warning to PAOCC that even legitimate reasons must be acted upon within the framework allowed by law. Of course, the person who released the video also has a very high level of agenda-setting.

The Prominent Albert Garcia

In this incident, Congressman Garcia from the second district of Badan was very conspicuous, openly confronting PAOCC to protect the interests of local enterprises and workers. There have been several instances of businesses being raided by PAOCC in the Philippines before, but it is rare for a congressman to stand up like him, perhaps he is very familiar with this enterprise, or perhaps he is very dissatisfied with PAOCC's actions in Badan.

Here is some personal information about Garcia:

Albert Garcia, born on February 1, 1970, is a Filipino politician. He has been serving as a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines representing the second district of Badan since 2022. He served as the 24th governor of Badan from 2013 to 2022 under the National Unity Party, of which he is also the chairman.

He previously served two terms as a congressman representing the second district of Badan. He first won a congressional election in 2004 and was re-elected in 2007. Before becoming a congressman, Garcia served two terms as mayor of Barangay City from 1998 to 2004.

Whether Central One is involved in illegal operations

During the raid, Winston Casio (currently suspended) stated that Central One was operating gambling businesses without the necessary approval from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

He stated that they found unapproved gaming applications during the operation. After the raid, Casio said, "It's obvious that at Central One we have seen cryptocurrency and online investment scams as well as offshore gambling operations. We saw the notorious Winbox platform. Winbox is an online gambling platform banned in many countries. We saw it at Central One."

So far, it is still difficult to judge who is telling the truth, but PAOCC really encountered a tough challenge this time.