PNP, DOJ probe Pogo link in Que kidnap-slay
- Was a POGO gang behind the kidnap-slay of Chinese-Filipino businessman Anson Que and his driver? That’s an angle police authorities and the Department of Justice say they’re looking into.
- One particular group the police was looking at was allegedly behind the abduction and killing of a fellow Chinese last year.
- Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, the PNP spokesperson, said the group served as “debt collectors” for Pogo operators. But investigators have yet to establish whether Que, who ran a steel business in Valenzuela City where he lived, had any links to Pogos or individuals involved in the banned gaming operations.
The Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday said they were looking into the possible involvement of Chinese nationals linked to the Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) in the kidnap-slaying of Chinese-Filipino businessman Anson Que and his driver.
According to Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, the PNP spokesperson, these Chinese nationals had been used to extract money from those involved or associated with Pogo operations.
One particular group the police was looking at was allegedly behind the abduction and killing of a fellow Chinese last year, she told reporters at Camp Crame.
“What is the reason for possibly tying up this incident to the other incident last year? Because of the manner of how the kidnap victims were killed as well as how the duct tape was put on their faces and the way they were hogtied,” she said.
‘Debt collectors’
She said the group served as “debt collectors” for Pogo operators.
“If you may recall, PAOCC (Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission) mentioned there is a muscle group that is being used to scare those who owe money to Pogos. So, this is what we are looking into,” Fajardo said.
She said investigators have yet to establish whether Que, who ran a steel business in Valenzuela City where he lived, had any links to Pogos or individuals involved in the banned gaming operations.
Que’s body was found in Rodriguez, Rizal, on April 9, together with the remains of his driver, Armanie Pabillo, almost two weeks after they went missing. Que and his driver were last seen alive on March 29, the day authorities believed he was snatched.
A police report said the two bodies were placed inside a nylon bag and dumped on a grassy roadside in Rodriguez, far from Seminary Road at Barangay Bahay Toro in Project 6, Quezon City, where Que’s black Lexus LM350 was found a day earlier.
Fajardo earlier told reporters that the bodies showed bruises, injuries and signs of strangulation.
‘A lot of validation’
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Friday that they will form an Anti-Kidnapping Task Force together with the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the Que case, and other kidnappings in the country.
Authorities will also continue to cooperate with the Chinese business community to thoroughly investigate the incident.
“We’re having a lot of validation done so we can make sure that all of this information is correct. Because of course, not all of it will be accurate enough to show a true picture,” Remulla said.
The Pogo industry has been banned in the Philippines since the end of 2024 on orders of President Marcos due to the criminal activities linked to its operation, including murder, human and sex trafficking, and tax evasion.
“That’s why the President doesn’t want Pogos to continue because the problems brought by gambling money often come with the involvement of the underworld,” Remulla said, citing videos showing alleged torture and killing when the gaming operators were still active in the country.
“Unfortunately, many of these criminal elements are still here,” he added.
But he clarified that the Pogo link was just one of the possibilities for now as the investigations were still ongoing. Remulla said they have a list of “suspects and theories.”
3 cases in 5 weeks
“The theory, of course, is about why the crime was committed and by whom. We’re already working on answering those two questions,” he said.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil on Friday assured the Chinese-Filipino community that the police would “bring the perpetrators to justice at the soonest possible time.”
The kidnapping of Que and his driver was the third such incident where ethnic Chinese were victimized over a span of just five weeks.
According to civic leader Teresita Ang See, the two other victims were a 14-year-old Chinese student in Taguig in February and a Chinese food kiosk owner in Binondo, Manila.
Marbil held a “high-level meeting” with the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) to address their concerns regarding their safety and security, “following the alarming cases that have raised worries not only within the business sector but also across the general public.”
But he said the PNP was “on top of the situation.”
He said the police understood the “urgency and gravity” of the cases and assured the business group that the PNP was “fully committed to resolving them swiftly and restoring confidence in public safety.”
“We are deeply concerned, and we will not rest until these cases are solved,” he said.
Task group formed
The PNP has already formed a special investigation task group to focus on the killing of Que and his driver. It will be headed by Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, chief of the PNP directorial staff and Police Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, chief of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
“We are mobilizing all investigative assets and leveraging every capability to ensure these incidents do not recur,” Marbil said.
He also assured the public that the country remained safe for business and travel, and that the police force remains vigilant and responsive to any threat to peace and order.
“We call for calm and unity. These isolated incidents do not define our nation. What defines us is our collective resolve to uphold the rule of law and protect all people living and doing business in the Philippines,” he said.
