After a joint investigation lasting 10 months and comprising 15 hearings, the Philippines House of Representatives' "Quadripartite Committee" announced on June 9 the findings of its investigation into offshore gaming (POGO), extrajudicial killings, drug trafficking, and identity forgery, revealing that multiple government and law enforcement members are suspected of assisting foreign criminal groups in engaging in money laundering, bribery, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and even murder in the Philippines.
The committee stated that the final report draft has been completed and will be submitted to the plenary session of the House of Representatives for deliberation on June 11, and will promote five major legislative proposals aimed at establishing stricter anti-crime mechanisms.
Key Legislative Proposals Targeting POGO, Illegal Birth Certificates, and Foreign Espionage
The joint investigation has led to five key legislative bills, expected to become priorities in Congress:
Bill No. 10986: Anti-Extrajudicial Killing Act: A comprehensive prohibition on government and law enforcement units carrying out violent disposals without legal procedures.
Bill No. 10987: Anti-Offshore Gaming Operations Act: Proposes a complete ban on POGO operations, blocking illegal gambling groups' intrusion.
Bill No. 11043: Civil Forfeiture Act: Implements mechanisms for the recovery and innocent forfeiture of involved properties.
Bill No. 11117: Fraudulent Birth Certificate Cancellation Law: Specifically targets foreigners forging Philippine identities and impersonating citizens.
Bill No. 10998: Espionage Law of 2024: Updates national security regulations to address the increasing risks of transnational infiltration.
These bills are seen as important milestones in the Philippines' fight against transnational crime networks and the governance of POGO chaos.
Harry Roque and Michael Yang Temporarily Avoid Detention, "Duterte's Lover" Royina Garma Detained in the US
The committee also announced the lifting of the contempt of Congress and arrest warrants against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and economic advisor Michael Yang, but emphasized that this does not affect their criminal liability.
Harry Roque is reportedly staying in the Netherlands seeking asylum, having been twice sentenced for contempt of Congress for refusing to attend hearings, and still faces an arrest warrant related to human trafficking.
Michael Yang is still under multiple investigations related to illegal drug trading and POGO operations.
It has also been confirmed that former charity office head and retired policewoman Royina Garma is now detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the South Louisiana Immigration Processing Center. She was considered a close partner of former President Duterte but turned against him during the hearings, accusing Duterte of involvement in extrajudicial killings, which has drawn widespread attention. (See related topic: "Duterte's Woman" Royina Garma, Why Did She Flee to the US?)
Visa Chaos Criticized, Proposal for "Foreign Nationals Tracking System" Raises Concerns
Romeo Acop, vice-chairman of the Quadripartite Committee and congressman, pointed out during the hearings that the current foreign nationals' visa system is extremely decentralized, becoming a "blind spot" for national security and law enforcement.
"The Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs, Economic Zone Administration, Philippine Retirement Authority, and even the Department of Trade and Industry all have the authority to issue visas. This makes it impossible for us to effectively track the activities of all foreign nationals within the country." — Acop stated.
He suggested establishing a unified visa management database with real-time update capabilities to comprehensively grasp the distribution and activity trajectories of foreign nationals in the Philippines. However, this proposal has raised concerns among the Filipino-Chinese community: Could a centralized data system become a monitoring tool for Chinese or other foreign nationals? Will visa policies become more restrictive?
The investigation by the Quadripartite Committee is nearing its end, but the political shockwaves it has generated have not yet subsided. With the advancement of new legislation, the Philippines may enter a critical phase of comprehensive settlement of illegal gambling and foreign infiltration forces. Society closely watches: How far can reform go?
