Slain businessman’s kin: No ties to pogos
The family of Chinese-Filipino businessman Anson Tan on Saturday denied reports that he had dealings with a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) which had failed and resulted in his kidnap-slaying.
According to Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte, one of the counsels for the Tan family, Tan had always stayed away from “shady dealings.”
Tan is the businessman’s legal name. He is also known as Anson Que, the name the police used in earlier statements on the case.
On Friday, the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice (DOJ) said they were looking into the possible involvement of Chinese nationals linked to Pogos in the kidnap-slaying of Tan and his driver Armanie Pabillo.
“The family of the late Anson Tan firmly disputes allegations that their father was involved in Pogo transactions,” Belmonte said in a statement.
“They have no rental property in Bulacan to speak of Mr. Tan has been engaged in legitimate business for decades and is a stalwart member of the Filipino Chinese business community and is known for his charitable work,” he said.
Belmonte was referring to a report by a news outlet that Tan had entered into a business relationship with a certain Pogo entity which went sour.
“During his lifetime, he stayed away from shady dealings and only did business with people he knew and trusted. We appeal to the public to remain critical of misleading news and thank everyone for their support,” Belmonte said.
On Friday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said they were “considering seriously” the possible involvement of Pogos in the killing of Tan. But he said that this was just one of the possibilities.
He said they will form an Anti-Kidnapping Task Force involving the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate this and other kidnappings. The task force will also work with the Chinese-Filipino business community to help in its investigation.
DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano on Saturday said that Remulla was just responding to reporters’ questions on whether investigators were looking into the Pogo angle in the kidnapping.
“No one is saying anything for certain. We will only follow the evidence,” he told the Inquirer. “We will leave no stone left unturned.”
Civic leader Teresita Ang-See, founding chair of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order, on Saturday said Tan and his family were not involved in Pogos.
Better handled by PAOCCC
“The suspects or criminal syndicates are Pogo related, no doubt about that. I have said that from the beginning,” Ang-See told the Inquirer.
“Even in the Andy Wan case, the perpetrators were Pogo-related. But the family? No,” Ang-See told the Inquirer.
Andy Wan is the 14-year-old Chinese student who was kidnapped in Taguig in February but was later released by his abductors, who had also cut off one of his fingers.
The remains of Tan and his driver were discovered on a grassy roadside in Rodriguez, Rizal, on April 9—nearly two weeks after they went missing and a day after Tan’s black Lexus LM350 luxury minivan was found in Project 6, Quezon City.
Their bodies were stuffed inside nylon bags and bore bruises and signs of injury and strangulation. Tan and Pabillo were last seen on March 29, the day they were believed to have been abducted.
Sen. Joel Villanueva said the Tan kidnapping and similar cases could be better handled with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) taking the lead in the investigation, especially if kidnappings were somehow connected to Pogos.
In a statement, Villanueva said the recent abductions were of grave concern not just for the Chinese-Filipino community but for all Filipinos.
Rise in kidnap cases
“While the Department of Justice’s move to establish an Anti-Kidnapping Task Force is a welcome development, I believe the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission is better suited to lead this effort,” he said.
“If it’s true that this case has ties to Pogo operations, then why not let the PAOCC—an agency with a proven track record in taking down major criminal syndicates—take charge?” he said.
Villanueva pointed out that the average number of kidnapping cases has risen significantly from 2017, from 14 cases per year to 32 in 2024.
He added that in the first quarter of 2025, the country already recorded 12 cases of abductions.
“Our law enforcement agencies must get their act together to swiftly resolve this and all other pending cases, and bring the perpetrators to justice. Numbers don’t lie,” Villanueva said
He said that the recent kidnappings and other criminal activities “continue to pose a serious threat to public safety.”
“This should serve as a wake-up call to the PNP to intensify vigilance and take decisive action to ensure the safety of our nation,” Villanueva said. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
