Gatchalian plans to file resolution to probe banks' failure to flag POGO-related suspicious transactions
September 10, 2024
Gatchalian plans to file resolution to probe banks' failure to flag POGO-related suspicious transactions
Senator Win Gatchalian said he plans to file a resolution to investigate the apparent failure of banks to flag financial transactions that may have allowed unscrupulous individuals to establish Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) linked to criminal activities in the country.
"Money laundering is one of the biggest crimes committed in the POGO hubs that were raided," Gatchalian said. For instance, he noted that companies owned by Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Guo, were involved in bank transactions amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos which may have enabled her to construct and establish the POGO hub in Bamban.
"Bakit umabot ng apat hanggang limang taon bago naimbestigahan? If the banks had complied with the requirements of the anti-money laundering law, this would have been nipped in the bud," Gatchalian pointed out, noting that suspicious transactions involving Guo companies started as early as 2019.
The senator surmised that companies set up by the Guo family, such as QJJ Farms and QJJ Embroidery, were likely used as conduits for money laundering to fund the construction of the POGO hub in Bamban, estimated to have cost over P6 billion.
According to Gatchalian, bank transactions involving Guo companies amounted to hundreds of millions of pesos - far beyond what their financial statements indicated as their financial capacity.
"If you examine the financial statements of Guo-related businesses, including their tax returns, you won't be able to trace where the money came from. For me, this is a classic case of money laundering, as we cannot detect the source of funds," he said.
Gatchalian highlighted the money laundering case that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) filed against Guo and 35 others. The case involves funds, initially intended to pay Baofu Land Development's electricity bills, which were systematically laundered through multiple bank accounts to conceal their illicit origins. Baofu is the property developer that owns the land where the POGO hub in Bamban was constructed. "The bigger crime is how they were able to erect buildings, and we still don't know how the money came in. I'm sure the same thing happened in the Porac POGO hub," Gatchalian said.
In addition to the Bamban POGO, the AMLC is also looking into bank compliance issues related to the Porac POGO hub.
Gatchalian balak imbestigahan ang kabiguan ng mga bangko na usisain ang mga kahina-hinalang transaksyon na may kaugnay sa POGO
Sinabi ni Senador Win Gatchalian na plano niyang maghain ng resolusyon para imbestigahan ang kabiguan ng mga bangko na sitahin at usisain ang financial transactions na maaaring nagbigay-daan sa pagtatatag ng mga Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) na nauugnay sa mga kriminal na aktibidad sa bansa.
"Ang money laundering ay isa sa pinakamalaking krimen na ginawa ng mga POGO na ni-raid ng mga awtoridad," sabi ni Gatchalian. Halimbawa, ang mga kumpanyang pag-aari ni Guo Hua Ping, na mas kilala bilang Alice Guo, ay sangkot sa bank transactions na nagkakahalaga ng daang daang milyong piso na maaaring nagbigay-daan sa pagpapatayo ng POGO sa Bamban.
"Bakit umabot ng apat hanggang limang taon bago naimbestigahan? Kung ang mga bangko ay sumunod sa mga iniaatas ng batas laban sa money laundering, naiwasan na sana ito sa simula, " diin ni Gatchalian, kasunod ng kahina-hinalang mga transaksyon sa bangko na kinasasangkutan ng mga kumpanya ng pamilya Guo simula pa noong 2019.
Hinala ng senador na ang mga kumpanyang itinatag ng pamilya Guo, tulad ng QJJ Farms at QJJ Embroidery, ay malamang na ginamit lang upang gawing daan para sa money laundering at mapondohan ang pagpapatayo ng POGO hub sa Bamban, na tinatayang nagkakahalaga ng mahigit P6 bilyon.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, ang mga transaksyon sa bangko ng mga kumpanya ng Guo ay umabot sa daan-daang milyong piso - higit pa sa ipinahihiwatig ng kanilang mga financial statement o kanilang kakayahan sa pananalapi.
"Kung susuriin mo ang mga financial statement ng mga negosyong nauugnay sa Guo, kasama ang kanilang mga tax return, hindi mo matutunton kung saan nanggaling ang mga pera. Para sa akin, ito ay isang kaso ng money laundering, dahil hindi natin matukoy ang pinagmulan ng mga pondo, "sabi niya.
Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian ang kasong money laundering na isinampa ng Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) laban kay Guo at 35 na iba pa. Kabilang sa kaso ang mga pondo, na dapat na pambayad sa electricity bill ng Baofu Land Development, na sistematikong nilinis sa pamamagitan ng maraming bank account upang itago kung saan talaga nanggaling ang mga perang ito. Ang Baofu ang property developer na nagmamay-ari ng lupa kung saan itinayo ang POGO hub sa Bamban. "Ang mas malaking krimen ay kung paano sila nakapagtayo ng mga gusali, at hindi pa natin alam kung paano pumasok ang pera. Sigurado ako na ganoon din ang nangyari sa POGO sa Porac," sabi ni Gatchalian.
Bukod sa POGO sa Bamban, tinitingnan din ng AMLC ang ilang compliance issues na may kaugnayan sa Porac POGO hub.
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