Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros revealed that three POGO bosses who were deported from the Philippines allegedly did not return to China.
At the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, the senator disclosed what she described as "escape mode," where deported foreigners purchase transit flight tickets and escape midway.
During the hearing, the senator questioned immigration officials about the whereabouts of Lyu Xun, Kong Xiangrui, and Wang Shangle (transliterated), three online gambling company bosses who were arrested during a raid in Parañaque City and were ordered to be deported. However, recent news confirmed that these three individuals did not return to China.
Hontiveros asked Fortunato Manahan, the head of the Bureau of Immigration's Intelligence Division, and Alvin Cesar Santos, the head of the Legal Division, to confirm whether the tickets for these three Chinese citizens were direct flights or connecting flights.
Manahan said, "If I remember correctly, the first batch of deportees included three people. I recall their tickets were on AirAsia flights to China, requiring a layover."
He mentioned the transit airport, saying, "I can't remember some of it, but it seems they were transiting through Hong Kong."
According to Manahan, the deportation process for these three online gambling company bosses was "the fastest in the history of the Bureau of Immigration," completed in just two weeks after initiating dialogue with the arrested individuals and inquiring who could afford or purchase tickets back to their country.
Manahan pointed out that they do not know whether these three individuals arrived in China, prompting Hontiveros to further question why the Bureau of Immigration did not monitor the whereabouts of these three POGO personnel.
Santos explained that the Bureau of Immigration only needs to ensure that those not declared as fugitives board the plane. Santos said, "Once declared as fugitives, we can ensure their arrival. But in this case, they were not fugitives."
Hontiveros then expressed "great disappointment," stating that the purpose of deporting these three online gambling company bosses was not achieved.
She said, "This is what all you experts at the Bureau of Immigration need to know. They never arrived in China. I will ask the committee to record this, the three individuals I mentioned earlier, they never arrived in China. There was a problem with the deportation process. The operation of the Bureau of Immigration should have been simple and normal, but the goal was not achieved."
