Sherwin Gatchalian said they could have facilitated the issuance of fake documents.
The Philippines.- Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has warned that criminals allegedly linked to offshore gaming may have infiltrated government agencies such as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine National Police (PNP). He cited a raid on a travel and consultancy firm that allegedly facilitated fraudulent documents.
He said one complainant paid PHP900,000 (US$15,500) to secure her fiancé’s release and another spent PHP1.1m (US$18,945) for her husband’s freedom following a January 17 raid at an offshore gaming hub in Parañaque City.
The senator said: “The raid also highlights the need to grant the PSA greater authority to prevent the issuance of fraudulent birth registrations and to penalise civil registrars who facilitate such fake documents, as provided in a bill I have filed in the Senate. Law enforcement agencies must continue their commendable efforts to dismantle these syndicates’ illegal operations, as they may be enabling the continued stay of offshore gaming operators remnants in the country.”
During a press conference on Thursday (February 6), PAOCC executive director Gilberto Cruz said the raided travel agency was the “missing link” in the ongoing Senate investigation into offshore gaming operators. He said the firm facilitated the acquisition of government-issued documents for foreigners, allowing them to remain in the country.
Cruz also disclosed that employees of the travel agency impersonated PAOCC personnel to extort money from victims. Cruz, however, clarified that no actual PAOCC officers were involved in the scheme. Authorities are currently probing potential government insiders who may have aided the illegal issuance of documents.
The news comes a week after Senate Committee Report No. 514 warned that criminal groups were still active despite the ban on offshore gaming operations. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been directed to review procedures for verifying incorporators’ identities and the authenticity of documents.
