Alex, the Chief Financial Officer of Zunyuan Technology Company, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines, admitting that he and other executives of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) accepted bribes from Guo Huaping, the former mayor of Banban, Danlu Province, and concealed their involvement.
After their online gambling centers in Banban were raided, Alex and the company secretary decided to turn themselves in. They revealed that although the company's main business was buying and selling cars, in 2023, Guo Huaping's team contacted them, offering an initial bribe of 20,000 pesos and promising monthly dividends, asking them to register as heads of POGO companies in their personal names.
After the raid on the online gambling centers, Alex and other staff were summoned by the National Bureau of Investigation, the House of Representatives, and the Senate for investigation in May of this year. However, Alex disclosed that they had been warned by Guo Huaping not to cooperate with the authorities and were asked to remain silent to prevent the outside world from discovering their actual involvement.
Alex further revealed that when the Senate hearing put Guo Huaping under the public spotlight, they received a large sum of cash and were asked to stay out of the public eye. He disclosed, "We received funds to change our residence." He personally received 500,000 pesos, which was handed over by Guo Huaping's assistant, Jeremy Santos.
Alex's surrender has added new clues to the ongoing investigation into the Philippine offshore gaming industry, with more executives and related personnel expected to be summoned in the future to reveal industry insights.
