SO, A hub of the notorious Philippine Overseas Gaming Operations (POGO) has been existing and fully operational in an upscale residential subdivision in Buhangin, Davao City? And it was raided by elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Southeastern Mindanao.
According to local news reports, the illegal POGO hub operation at the Montclaire Subdivision, Buhangin district, has been operating for quite some time already. And it took one brave resident in that residential enclave to report the hub.
Thus, after thoroughly validating the report, the NBI raided and several Chinese nationals were caught running the gambling – and possibly ‘scamming’ operation. Paraphernalia like cellular phones, computer units, and other gambling tools were confiscated by the raiding authorities.
The busting of the illegal POGO hub is the second to happen within the Davao Region. The first one was the hub of the POGO inside a supposedly abandoned warehouse in the middle of a banana plantation in nearby Panabo City.
And by the way, how come the discovery of the illegal gambling den only happened four days ago? Why did nobody before the POGO raid in that posh residential subdivision ever attempt to report the illegal operation to advise the police authorities, or their equivalent?
Is this indicative of the existence of influential protectors sitting on swivel chairs? Believe us. The alien gambling and scam operators could not have come up with one risky scheme if they were not certain they could operate in the area unhampered.
Indeed, it is hard to believe that the operators dared to do the unlikely.
With the discovery and subsequent busting of the illegal POGO hub right in the heart of Davao City, do we expect some more to surface in the very near future?
“Let us to see.”
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We read a post on Facebook, a line-up of priority bills the young second district Congressman Omar Duterte is planning to introduce in the 20th Congress. All ten are youth, pro-workers, pro-senior citizens, including one who seeks to give a regular salary for barangay officials. In short, all the areas that appear wanting in government attention are being looked into by the young congressman in his planned legislative agenda.
Even the already high pension of the members of the country’s armed services is included in the young Duterte scion’s legislative intentions.
The question that many people, not just Davaoeños, might be asking is whether or not he can introduce even one of his planned measures in the legislative body. Or, if he can, will he be able to fight it out even at the committee level?
Even a cursory examination of his proposed legislative measures can tell the more discerning observers that the young Duterte is not the only one with proposed bills along the areas he is exploring to address..
Our take is that Congressman Omar’s chances of presenting his bills to the appropriate committee will be dependent on how fast he can move to push his proposed measures from his office to the committee.
And once it is taken up for deliberation by the committee, it is imperative that the congressman from Davao City’s second district must be ready with his inputs and justify the same quite convincingly.
But with even the ten proposed measures, it is our take that three years will not be sufficient time for all these – not even five or three – will reach the plenary.
But if we may recommend one for the congressman to prioritize in introducing, it must be the proposal for barangay officials to have regular salaries and other benefits.
For certain, Congressman Omar will get massive support. We can only hope that his proposed bills will not be derailed by the present political dynamics between his family and that of the national administration.
