Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday emphasized the importance of conducting a thorough investigation into the operation of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub near Camp Aguinaldo that was raided on Monday.
“All possibilities are open,” Teodoro said during an online press briefing when asked if the hub was used for espionage operations by China given the proximity of the facility to Camp Aguinaldo, home to the Armed Forces and the Department of National Defense.
Seventy-four Chinese and two Myanmar nationals were arrested during the raid, which was led by personnel from the Bureau of Immigration and supported by the military, in Barangay Socorro in Quezon City.
“The site is proximate to Camp Aguinaldo and (to the PNP headquarters) Camp Crame so it’s still under investigation,” Teodoro said, adding that the probe is being spearheaded by the National Bureau of Investigation.
“We’ll see what will come out in the forensic investigation of the items that were recovered from them (suspects). Nonetheless, we all know that Camp Aguinaldo is already a restricted facility,” Teodoro also said.
The Armed Forces said no stone will be left unturned in the ongoing investigation, which it said is meant to determine its implications for national security.
“We are not leaving any stone unturned to determine greater implications, especially to the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a radio interview.
“We are looking into its national security concerns. We are really taking this matter seriously,” Padilla also said.
Padilla said the probe is also meant to identify people who might be providing protection to the POGO hub operation.
“The Armed Forces is supporting the government efforts to address threats to national security. Our coordination with relevant agencies is ongoing,” Padilla added.