A regulatory officer of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) confirmed during a council meeting that the regulator did not have jurisdiction over a raided business process outsourcing (BPM) firm in Bataan in late October.
The raid has been the subject of much scrutiny, given that the company, Central One Bataan, was operating under a license from the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) and not under a PAGCOR license.
The raid was conducted by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), due to a warrant being issued on suspicion of fraudulent activities such as online gambling and cryptocurrency scams.
In a meeting of the Bataan Provincial Peace and Order Council on Wednesday, PAGCOR regulatory officer Joseph Lobo confirmed that “AFAB has jurisdiction since it’s their locator, and not PAGCOR”.
During the meeting, over 10 employees of Central One Bataan PH Inc. shared their experiences from the raid. One official with the company, Anne Dela Cruz clearly stated that the company was not a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).
“We have a gaming license which was never used. We are not a POGO. We did not begin under the previous administration. We only started in January 2023”.
Dela Cruz furthered that the facility complies with AFAB regulations and business process outsourcing (BPO) standards and that it did not engage in online gambling.
Bataan Governor Joet Garcia indicated that the testimonies clarified that the PAOCC raid lacked basis, noting “This is a great development because it addresses what the PAOCC mentioned as a requirement for Central One to operate”.
The Office of the Administrator Group Head of the AFAB had previously indicated to AGB in a statement that ‘Central One Bataan PH, Inc. is an enterprise registered with the Freeport Area of Bataan’.
It furthered ‘AFAB, by itself or jointly with other concerned regulatory bodies, regularly conducts inspections on our locators and registered enterprises to ensure they are compliant with the terms and conditions of the authority granted to them’.
