PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday paid tribute to veterans who fought for the country’s freedom as part of the 80th commemoration of the Leyte Gulf Landings.

“To our veterans, words will never be enough to express the depth of our gratitude,” Marcos said in a message read by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Marcos left for Indonesia last Saturday to attend yesterday’s oath-taking of new Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The President is scheduled to return to Manila today.

“What you gave us goes far beyond what we could ever repay. You have shown us that courage is about carrying the weight of sacrifice, about standing firm in the face of overwhelming odds, and trusting that your struggle would bring freedom to others,” said Marcos.

On October 20, 1944, American Gen. Douglas MacArthur, with President Sergio Osmeña, landed in Leyte, two years after withdrawing to Australia to muster forces, fulfilling his famous words “I shall return.”

The arrival of MacArthur, along with Osmeña and Gen. Carlos P. Romulo, started a battle that spanned 100,000 square miles of sea and was fought for three days — Oct. 23 to 25, 1944 — during the invasion of Leyte by Allied forces.

“Eighty years ago, Leyte witnessed a turning point in history. Imagine being here, right on this very shore. Gen. Douglas MacArthur stepped off a landing craft and made good on the three words that kept a whole nation hanging on. ‘I shall return,’” said Marcos.

MacArthur’s arrival set off the largest naval battle of World War II.

Marcos said that marked “the beginning of our long walk to

Freedom,” adding: “And freedom, as we know, does not come cheap.”

“Gen. MacArthur, along with President Sergio Osmeña, walked ashore at Red Beach in Palo, Leyte, and that moment became emblematic of the resolve of the Allied Forces and of the Filipino people. Although these men came from different backgrounds, they were united by a single cause: freedom,” said Marcos.

“They came from the United States, Australia, and even from our own soil. Facing extraordinary challenges brought by a determined invader, they gave everything for the possibility of a tomorrow free from oppression,” added Marcos.

Marcos, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, also acknowledged every soldier “who has left home, not knowing if they would return.

“We pay tribute to our brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and we remember civilians who lived through years of fear and deprivation, yet held onto hope,” added Marcos.

“Because this fight did not end in 1944. It lives on in each of us, and it is our duty to continue their legacy,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the youth should remember that the freedom that they are enjoying now is not given. “It was fought for, brought by the blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors,” he said.

“To our veterans, and to every Filipino, their fight is our fight. Let us carry forward the lessons of those who gave their all so that we can prosper in a society where hope and opportunity flourish for all,” added Marcos.

Teodoro said he supports all initiatives to ensure that the lessons and legacy of the Leyte Gulf Landings are “preserved, and shared and lived with current future generations.”

He also reiterated the DND’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate of “protecting our national security, territorial integrity, and the freedoms that our veterans have fought so hard for.”

NEARLY P5 billion worth of illegal drugs have been seized under the Marcos administration’s campaign against drugs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported yesterday.

The P49.82 billion in assorted drugs were seized during 84,676 operations conducted throughout the country from July 1, 2022 to September 30 this year, PDEA said.

They include 6,481.16 kilos of shabu worth P44.07 billion, PDEA said.

Also seized were 75.69 kilos of cocaine, 115,081 pills of ecstasy, and 5,626.80 kilos of marijuana.

PDEA said 114,892 drug personalities were arrested during the same period, including 7,364 high-value targets.

The anti-drug operations also resulted in the dismantling of 1,181 drug dens and a clandestine laboratory.

PDEA said 29,211 barangays have been so far cleared of illegal drugs while 6,292 barangays are still subject to clearing operations.

As of August 31, the illegal drugs seized during the current administration were placed at P47.94 billion and the arrested suspects in 81,679 operations stood at 110,814, including 7,050 high-value targets.

Operatives of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) arrested three drug peddlers in Barangay San Martin de Porres in Quezon City last Friday, PDEG reported yesterday.

PDEG did not identify the suspects who are said to be “high-value individuals” in the war against illegal drugs. Two suspects are males, aged 44 and 41, while the third is a 40-year-old female.

Seized from the suspects, described to be a 41-year-old male and a 40-year-old female, were 10 heat-sealed plastic sachets containing 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million.

PDEG director Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta said the successful operation “demonstrates our persistent efforts to protect the community from the dangers of illegal drugs.”

“Our work is creating a meaningful difference in the safety and health of our neighborhoods. We want to assure the community that these arrested suspects will be held accountable for their actions as mandated by law,” said Matta.

Police seized P111,996 worth of suspected dangerous drugs and arrested a woman in a buy-bust operation in Pasig City before dawn last Saturday.

Col. Hendrix Mangaldan, local police chief, identified the suspect as alias Marimar, 28, a resident of Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City.

Seized from her were three sachets containing more or less 16.47 grams of suspected shabu. — With Christian Oineza 

A LOW pressure area (LPA) was forecast yesterday to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and intensify into a tropical depression.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the LPA was still outside the PAR, specifically some 1,450 km east of southern Luzon, said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather specialist Veronica Torres.

In a public weather forecast at 4 p.m. yesterday, Torres said the weather disturbance was expected to enter PAR late Sunday or Monday.

It will be named “Kristine.”

The LPA was not directly affecting any part of the country as of yesterday, but its trough or extension was bringing cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and Bicol regions, and the provinces of Northern Samar, Palawan, Aurora and Quezon, PAGASA said.

PAGASA weather specialist Grace Castañeda earlier said the LPA, if it intensifies into a tropical depression, “may get near east of northern and central Luzon.”

“We’re not ruling out a possible landfall scenario in northern and central Luzon area,” she also said.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the implementing arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said weather system “is anticipated to make landfall on the eastern coast of Cagayan by Thursday and may traverse northern Luzon.”

Defense Secretary and NDRRMC chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr urged the public to take precaution amid the threat posed by the weather disturbance.

The OCD said it has instructed its regional offices to initiate preparedness measures, noting the weather disturbance may bring moderate to heavy rainfall.

PNP CHIEF Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil yesterday urged Congress to amend the law that established the PNP in 1991, citing flaws that he said need to be addressed and global trends in law enforcement.

In a statement, Marbil said there is a need to revisit and restructure the police force to resolve what he called systemic challenges that impede the PNP’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively.

Marbil said he wants the PNP to transition into a “flatter, more streamlined structure,” which he said would lead to quicker decision-making during emergencies, improve accountability, and promote better communication.

“The current hierarchical system often slows down decision-making, particularly in critical situations where prompt responses are vital,” Marbil said, referring to the setup under Republic Act 6975, an act establishing the PNP under a reorganized interior department.

Marbil also said decentralizing the PNP would empower lower-ranking officers to make localized decisions, which he said will reduce delays and enhance operational efficiency.

He said there is a need to strengthen the law to cure organizational deficiencies, adding the law should evolve to meet the demands of modern policing.

He said a streamlined police force would enhance communication throughout the organization, eliminating bottlenecks, and fostering collaboration between PNP leaders and officers in the field.

“This kind of structure encourages leadership and initiative at all levels, inspiring creativity and innovation in tackling the country’s security challenges,” he said.

“The world is changing fast, and so should the PNP,” Marbil also said, adding that continuous reform is needed so that the PNP will remain effective, adaptable and responsible to domestic and international challenges.

THE chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) yesterday said the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would conduct a joint investigation on the 2020 murder of retired police general and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga. 

Brig. General Nicolas Torre III said the joint probe is based on the order issued by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“The guidance of SOJ (Secretary of Justice) Jesus Crispin Remulla) is this will not be a parallel investigation anymore between the PNP the NBI, but a joint investigation, the NBI and the PNP will collaborate, Torre said.

He said that “the main (agency) that will interface with the NBI is the CIDG.”

Barayuga was shot dead in Mandaluyong City on July 30, while aboard his PCSO service vehicle. His driver, Jojo Gunao, was injured in the attack.

The name of Barayuga was later included in the list of people involved in the trade of illegal drugs.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the agency has already taken the statements of possible witnesses on Barayuga’s murder.

Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza and police informant Nelson Mariano have tagged former PCSO general manager Royima Garma and resigned National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo as the alleged masterminds in the killing of Barayuga during the hearings of the quad committee of the House of Representatives.

Torre said the CIDG will discuss Mendoza’s revelation before the House joint panel with the DOJ.

“Pag-dedesisyunan na lang whether we will adapt his statement in total na ginawa niya sa Congress (We will just discuss if we will adapt his [Mendoza’s] statements before Congress in total), or if we will wait for another affidavit with similar content or reuse the statements from the congressional hearing. Pag-de-desisyunan ‘yan sa case conference (We will decide on this in our case conference),” he said.

Torre vowed to file charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte if there is enough evidence to prove he is involved in the Barayuga killing and the extrajudicial killings in relation to the campaign against illegal drugs during his administration.

“Let’s see as to the direction (where the) investigation on the cold cases (will take us),” he said.

“If we see a link of anyone, including the former president, then so be it. We will include them in the charges if the evidence warrants,” he added.

Remulla made the same commitment.

“We’re not letting go of the cold cases. If there are people willing to testify and give us evidence para mabuhay ulit natin ‘yung mga kaso kasi walang katahimikan hanggang walang hustisya (so we can revive the cases because there will be peace until we get justice),” Remulla said.

“Kahit sino pa. Alam naman natin na mahalaga na isambulat natin ang katotohanan sa taumbayan (Whoever they may be. We know how important it is to reveal the truth to the public),” he added.

Asked if this may include Duterte, Remulla said nobody will be spared if there is evidence pointing to their involvement in EJKs.

“Basta wala tayong sinasanto. Ang mahalaga , kung merong nagkasala sa lipunan, ito ay pagbayaran. Ito lang naman yun. It’s crime and punishment (We will spare no one here. What is important is if you commit a crime in society, you should be made to pay, to be held accountable. It’s crime and punishment),” he said.

Remulla appealed to those who may have knowledge or witnessed these cold cases of EJKs to come out and provide evidence to the DOJ so that charges can be filed against those responsible.

During the House quad committee hearings, Garma alleged that Duterte and other officials of the Duterte administration sanctioned covert operations on a national scale, replicating the Davao City model of supposed extrajudicial killings, which provided police with financial rewards for killing drug suspects, funding for planned operations, and reimbursement for operational expenses.

She said that Duterte asked her in May 2016 before he assumed the presidency to identify a police officer who is a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo and who would be capable of implementing the war on drugs using the Davao model.

Garma claimed she endorsed Leonardo, her upperclassman at the PNP Academy.

Garma she was later informed by Leonardo that he had been instructed by Duterte to organize a task force against illegal drugs. She said Leonardo invited her to join the task force, but she declined. She said Leonardo also informed her that he prepared a proposal, through now Sen. Bong Go, outlining the task force’s operations.

Garma also alleged that “operational expenses and rewards” were processed through the bank accounts of one Peter Parungo, a former PNP detainee who was reportedly among those tasked to collect and verify information about people allegedly involved in the trade of illegal drugs.

She presented a matrix during the House quad committee hearing suggesting that former PNP chiefs were aware of the covert operation. She implicated Leonardo as the key figure in the alleged scheme and several other ranking officers who led the drug campaign.

As to the charges that may be filed against the people involved, Torre said: “Extra-judicial killings, that will be murder.”

“There are different kinds of principal accused, it could be direct participation, it could be inducement or indispensable cooperation. Let’s see what the evidence will say… There will be (people who will be) principally accused, depending on the evidence that we gather,” he also said.

Torre said the CIDG is still re-examining the testimony given by Garma during the congressional hearing.

THE PNP yesterday said 1,506 policemen have been relieved from their assignment in areas where they have relatives running in the national and local elections in May next year.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the cops have disclosed that they have relatives up to the fourth degree in consanguinity who are seeking elective posts in the 2025 midterm elections in their areas of assignment.

Of the number, Fajardo said 1,308 were already issued with relief orders as of yesterday.

The remaining 278 will be given similar orders in the coming days, she said.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Fajardo said all the 1,506 policemen were re-assigned or will be re-assigned to other units until the end of the election period.

Fajardo said the policy is nothing new, pointing out this was adopted in previous elections to ensure the PNP will be non-partisan during electoral processes.

“The PNP has been implementing this policy long ago. Every time we have an electoral process, our policemen are being removed from their places of assignment where they have relatives running in elections,” said Fajardo.

“This is to preclude any notion that they are going to use (their authority as policemen) to influence the coming elections,” she said.

“Our policemen understand this. We remain non-partisan and impartial in the coming elections,” she added.

Fajardo said the Cordillera Administrative Region has the most number of policemen, or 180 policemen, who declared they have relatives running in the elections.

It is followed by Zamboanga Peninsula with 144, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 122.

Fajardo said policemen who did not declare they have relatives in areas where they are currently assigned may face administrative charges.

“If they did not declare or at worst, they used their authority as policemen (to influence the elections), definitely they will face administrative sanctions, to include dismissal from the service,” she said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said it has received 104 petitions seeking to declare some aspirants for local positions in next year’s elections as nuisance candidates.

The Office of the Clerk of the Commission said it has also received 24 petitions seeking the cancellation of the certificates of candidacies (COCs), and one for disqualification.

The Comelec has earlier announced it will conduct a motu proprio investigation on the COCs filed by 117 senatorial hopefuls.

The poll body on Wednesday released the initial list of 66 names who will officially join the 2025 senatorial race.

A petitioned for disqualification has been filed against Kingdom of Jesus Christ pastor Apollo Quiboloy by the Workers and Peasants Party (WPP) for material misrepresentation in his certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA).

The WPP has denied that it endorsed the senatorial candidacy of Quiboloy.

Senatorial aspirant Sonny Matula filed the disqualification case before the poll body on Wednesday, saying that Quiboloy’s COC should be cancelled.

The Comelec has declared two “wings” of the WPP — one under Matula, and the other under lawyer Mark Tolentino, who filed the COC and CONA on behalf of the detained religious leader.

Matula said Quiboloy should also be declared nuisance candidate since he “cannot campaign during his incarceration as he is facing several criminal charges in court.”

Comelec chairman George Garcia said the poll body will resolve the cases by the end of November as they are looking at printing the official ballots for the 2025 polls in December.

The last day of filing of petitions to declare an aspirant a nuisance candidate should have been last October 14 or five days after the last day of the filing of COCs last October 8 but was extended by two days. — With Raymond Africa

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, during the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” media briefing, said the poll body conducted a motu proprio investigation on the 117 senatorial aspirants to be declared nuisance candidates for “questionable” motive in filing their COCs.

“Dahil nakita po ng Comelec Law Department na kuwestiyonable iyong kanilang motibo sa pagpa-file ng COC, na wala po silang bona fide intention na maaaring  magdulot lang sa mockery ng elections iyong kanilang pagtakbo bilang senador (Because the Comelec Law Department saw their questionable motives in filing their COCs, that they do not have bona fide intentions that may lead to a mockery of the electoral process),” Laudiangco said.

He said there were also aspirants who have similar or sounds like the names of legitimate aspirants that may confuse the voters.

He said aspirants who seem not to know the functions or jobs of senators were also included in the petition to declare as nuisance candidates, as well as those who only wanted to have media exposure.

“Kaya nga po pagkaka-evaluate ng Comelec Law Department, ito po ay ginawa natin sa pamamagitan ng petition para din naman po mabigyan sila ng due process, maipagtanggol ang kanilang sarili at patunayan sa commission en banc na sila po ay lehitimong kandidato (That why after evaluation of the Comelec Law Department, we immediately filed the petition so they can be given due process, the chance to defend themselves and prove to the commission en banc that they are legitimate candidates),” Laudiangco said.

AN Air Force general has been designated acting AFP deputy chief of staff, the third highest post in the military establishment.

Maj. Gen. Augustine Malinit assumed the post on Wednesday during rites presided over by AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr at the AFP general headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

Malinit, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1991, succeeded Marine Lt. Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan, of the PMA Class 1989, who reached the retirement age of 57 on Wednesday.

AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, in a statement, said Malinit will be the acting AFP deputy chief of staff in concurrent capacity as the AFP Inspector General, a post Malinit occupied just last month.

Malinit’s previous assignments include AFP vice commander, commander of the Air Defense Command, and commander of the 580th Air Control Warning Wing.

During the ceremony, the military paid tribute to Gaerlan who bowed out of the service after 39 years of “exemplary service.” Gaerlan held key positions in the military, including as commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps.

Brawner expressed his gratitude to Gaerlan, his PMA classmate, emphasizing the importance of his leadership.

Brawner also expressed confidence in Malinit’s ability to uphold the legacy of excellence.

“Today we honor an exemplary leader who dedicated 39 years of his life to a remarkable service, and welcome his successor to continue this legacy within the Office of The Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP,” said Brawner.

Four other three-star military officers are due to retire this the year.

They are Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. William Gonzales (November 23), Navy chief Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr (November 24), Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Stephen Parreño (December 20), and Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos (December 31), who is on a floating status.

Carlos was relieved as commander of the AFP Western Command last May amid allegations he entered into a “new model” agreement with a Chinese diplomat without the approval of higher authorities.

Carlos denied entering into the agreement which reportedly seeks to manage the tension between Philippines and China in connection with the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said it has completed 74 percent of the 1,254 projects programmed for last year under its Barangay Development Program (BDP).

The BDP is a flagship project of the task force which is chaired by the President. Since its inception in 2021, over 4,000 projects have been implemented.

In a statement Wednesday, the NTF-ELCAC said the completed projects include 100 school buildings, 44 of which are in the Eastern Visayas region.

Also completed are 511 farm-to-market roads, 99 water and sanitation systems, 91 health stations, and 127 rural electrification projects, ELCAC said.

Still in various stage of implementation, as of October 9, are 323 projects.

According to NTF-ELCAC data, P6.33 billion has been allocated for the implementation of the 1,254 BDP projects programmed for last year.

NTF-ELCAC said the BDP “aims to improve the quality of life in communities affected by local communist armed conflict by delivering essential services and socio-economic development projects.”

“This approach is designed to reduce local support for insurgents and foster stability in these areas,” it added.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, also vice chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, commended concerted efforts to implement the BDP projects which he said are meant to bring meaningful change to conflict-affected areas.

“The significant strides made by implementing the BDP through electrification, infrastructure, health services, and livelihood programs ensure that essential services reach our most vulnerable communities,” he said.

“The transformation of these areas is a crucial step toward achieving long-lasting peace and development, as they are being exploited as a source of recruits against the government,” he added.

NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres said the BDP has “bridged development gaps in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas which have historically been exploited by communist violent extremism.”

There are 885 BDP projects programmed for this year with funding of P2.5 million each.

So far, only nine of these projects have been completed. The nine are composed of two farm-to-market roads, one health station, and six rural electrification projects.

THE provincial government of Bulacan has offered a P500,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest of four suspects, including a policeman, behind the killing of a provincial board member.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo announced the reward during a press briefing at Camp Crame yesterday, four days after two counts of murder and two counts of frustrated murder were filed against the suspects, led by Staff Sergeant Ullyses Pascual.

“The LGU (local government unit) of Bulacan has offered a P500,000 reward for anyone who could provide information that will lead to the location and arrest of Sergeant Pascual, (Cesar) Gallardo, alias Lupin and alias Jeff,” said Fajardo.

Police probers filed the murder charges against the suspects before the Malolos City Prosecutors Office last Monday.

The four were tagged as behind the October 3 killing of Bulacan board member Ramilito Capistrano and his driver, Shedrick Suarez Toribio, in Malolos City while they were aboard a sports utility vehicle. Their two companions survived unscathed.

The Bulacan police provincial police office said the identification and filing of charges against the suspects was the product of a “thorough and persistent investigation” conducted by the Special Investigation Task Group Capistrano.

Fajardo said they are still determining the motive behind the killing of Capistrano.

“We cannot yet establish the motive until such time we identify the mastermind because it appears that the suspects who were charged were just instruments of the mastermind in killing Capistrano and his driver,” said Fajardo.

Fajardo said one of the angles that investigators are looking into is work-related.

Fajardo also announced that the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group will now be leading the manhunt operation against the suspects.

“The OIC (officer-in-charge) of the Bulacan police provincial office informed us that since the cases have been filed, the CIDG will be the primary unit now that will conduct a manhunt against these personalities,” said Fajardo.

Pascual, who was last assigned at Camp Crame, was earlier placed under restrictive custody after initial investigation showed he drove the vehicle used in the killing of Capistrano and Toribio.

Fajardo said Pascual sought permission from a police guard to go home house and went into hiding.

Fajardo said Pascual would face additional administrative charges for disregarding a lawful order and insubordination for escaping police custody.

THE PNP yesterday said former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, who had been ordered arrested by the House of Representatives, was sighted twice in Mindanao last month.

The House quad committee has ordered the arrest of Roque after citing him in contempt for failing to submit subpoenaed documents in connection with the panel’s ongoing probe on the operations of illegal offshore gaming hubs.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Roque was monitored at two areas in Mindanao last September.

However, she said the former presidential spokesman was no longer in the said areas when the police went there to serve the House’s arrest order.

“We are receiving some information that he is still in the country, transferring from one area to another,” said Fajardo, citing information from the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group which is leading efforts to locate and arrest Roque.

“Without revealing (the specific areas), this September or before the end of September, he was monitored at two areas particularly in Mindanao. However, when we went there, he was no longer around,” she said.

“We are not making excuses, we’re continuing with our efforts to locate (Roque),” she added.

Last month, the PNP reported that Roque was also sighted in Central Luzon and Calabarzon. Lawmen also went to these areas but failed to arrest Roque.

Policemen have been to the known addresses of Roque but also failed to get him.

Fajardo reiterated the PNP’s warning that charges may be filed against people who will be found harboring Roque.

“Again, we want to remind those people who are coddling Atty. Roque that they may face charges of obstruction of justice for intentionally harboring a person being search or being hunted by the PNP and other law enforcement agencies,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) yesterday said it is alarmed by information that Filipinos, who are formerly workers of Chinese-run Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hubs, are now operating their own scam farms.

“This is a big problem for our country. This is a ticking time bomb,” PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio told a radio interview.

Last week, Casio confirmed that Filipinos who used to work with POGO hubs that were raided and closed have established their own online scam networks. He said some of them were arrested in the past months.

“We have seen the trend and in the past months, we’ve raided (their scam farms),” Casio said yesterday, supporting his earlier revelation.

“These (Filipinos) are veterans, alumni of POGO hubs that we raided before,” he also said.

Casio said hundreds of Filipino POGO workers have been arrested in the campaign against POGO hubs, but “due to lack of material time to be able to develop a credible case against most of these Filipinos, we let them go with a stern warning not to involve themselves again (in POGO operations) and that if we get them again, we’ll do our best to charge them.”

“Just imagine, if we apprehend 400 Filipino in a scam farm (POGO), how are you going to develop a case against 400 Filipinos?” Casio asked.

Casio said some of these former POGO workers have been running their own scam farms for some time now.

“The problem is there is some sort of technology transfer, technical transfer,” he said, referring to the skills learned by Filipinos from the Chinese who operated the now-closed POGOs.