Senate wants to invite POGO kingpin

The Senate would like to invite alleged Philippine offshore gaming operations kingpin Lin Xunhan, alias Lyu Dong, as the chamber wraps up its probe on organized crime behind illegal POGOs, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday.

- By MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

Senators are interested to find out Lin's link to dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo and their alleged role in the raided POGO hubs in Porac, Pampanga and Bamban, Tarlac.

"This Mr. Lin, alias Boss 'Boga,' has a lot to reveal about POGO and how Guo Hua Ping is related to POGO operations," Gatchalian said, using Guo's alleged Chinese name.

"We want to know who are the others behind the big POGO boss," Gatchalian added.

Lin was arrested with 12 other Chinese and nine Filipino cohorts in Biñan, Laguna last Thursday.

A witness had told the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission that Lin and Guo - known as "Madam Wah" - were "partners" who coordinated the construction of the raided POGO hub in Guo's Baofu Land Development compound in Bamban.

Lin also allegedly ordered the torture of trafficked persons forced to do scams in POGO hubs that he operated across the country.

He is seen by the PAOCC as a "pioneer" in the POGO syndicate. His alias "Hao Hao" translates to "boss of the boss." Lin is allegedly the person whom Guo refused to identify as the one threatening her life since she was arrested and grilled at the Senate about the scam farms fronting as POGOs.

"I requested the Senate committee to invite him so we can directly ask him," Gatchalian said, referring to the Senate women and children committee investigating illegal POGOS.

The Senate might not be able to summon self-confessed Chinese spy She Zhijiang about his allegations in an AI Jazeera documentary that Guo Hua Ping was a fellow agent for the Chinese Communist Party.

This is because She, who is detained in Thailand and fighting extradition to China, was transferred to a maximum security prison after his interview with AI Jazeera, Gatchalian said.