Arrest of 'Boss Boga' seen as big win in drive vs. POGO

Senators on Friday described the capture of Lyu Dong, real name Lin Xunhan a.k.a. "Boss Boga", as a major achievement for the government's fight against Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country.

In a statement, Hontiveros commended the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Bureau of Immigration, Armed Forces of the Philippines Joint Special Operations Group and its Intelligence Service for their hard work to arrest the key figure behind the proliferation of POGO scam hubs.

"Sana ay masundan pa ito ng pagaresto sa mga iba pang 'big bosses' ng POGO at scam hubs, gaya nila (I hope this will be followed by the arrest of other POGO 'big bosses' like) Duanren Wu, Zhang Jie, and Huang Zhiyang," Hontiveros said.

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality chaired by Hontiveros had earlier identified Lyu Dong and his connection to other key figures behind the establishment of scam hubs in the country.

His arrest, Hontiveros said, brings the panel closer to its goal of seeking justice for the victims of crimes related to POGOs and scam hubs, as well as the accountability from public officials who might have enabled and tolerated these crimes.

For Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the arrest of Lyu Dong makes him more optimistic that the government can eradicate POGOs which continue to commit crimes, including widespread scams.

"Inaasahan nating mas marami pang kagaya ni Lin Xunhan ang masasawata ng mga awtoridad sa mga darating na araw (We are expecting that more individuals like Lin Xunhan will be captured by authorities in the coming days)," he said in a separate statement.

Gatchalian recalled that Lin Xunhan was included in the search warrant executed last June 4 against Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga.

He said the arrest of the POGO boss, who has been operating scam networks in the country for a long time under a false identity, underscores the critical need for constant vigilance and monitoring of cross-border activities involving high-profile individuals. (PNA)