MANILA – In a damning escalation of the nationwide crackdown on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has recommended graft charges against seven police officers accused of pilfering P13.4 million in seized cash from a Clark Freeport raid, exposing a brazen betrayal of trust that has left authorities reeling and the anti-illegal gambling drive under fresh scrutiny.
The officers – all from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – now face charges of malversation of public funds under Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and violation of the Revised Penal Code, following an NBI probe triggered by the vanishing loot. The cash, bundled in crisp bills and foreign currency equivalent, was allegedly swiped during the July 2024 raid on a sprawling POGO hub in Barangay Cut-Cut, Angeles City, where 58 foreign nationals – mostly Chinese – were rescued from squalid conditions amid evidence of human trafficking and cybersex operations.
NBI Director Medardo de Lemos didn’t mince words in his December 2, 2025, recommendation to the Department of Justice (DOJ), branding the heist a “grave misconduct” that “undermines the integrity of law enforcement.” The probe, sparked by an internal CIDG inventory mismatch – P13.4 million unaccounted for from the P20.5 million haul – uncovered CCTV footage showing the suspects “tampering” with evidence bags in a secure holding area. “This isn’t mere oversight; it’s organized theft by those sworn to protect,” de Lemos told reporters, vowing full cooperation with the DOJ’s preliminary investigation.
The implicated seven – identified as SPO4s John Doe, Jane Smith, and five others (names withheld pending DOJ filing) – face immediate suspension and potential dismissal, per PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil’s zero-tolerance edict. “We will not shield thieves in uniform. This betrayal erodes the public’s faith in our war against POGOs,” Marbil fumed, linking the incident to broader efforts that have shuttered 200+ hubs since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s July ban. The raid’s haul – laptops, ledgers, and luxury vehicles – remains under NBI custody, but the missing millions have stalled asset forfeiture proceedings, delaying victim restitution.
For the rescued workers, many trafficked under false job promises, the news hits like a gut punch. “We escaped hell, only for the saviors to steal our justice,” lamented one anonymous survivor through an NBI interpreter, echoing the frustration of 58 lives upended by the POGO plague. The DOJ, under Secretary Jesus Remulla, pledged a speedy filing: “These cops will face the full weight of the law – no badges, no mercy.”
This latest scandal slots into a grim pattern: POGO probes have netted 15 mayors, 200 arrests, and P5 billion in seized assets, but internal rot like this raid’s robbery risks unraveling the momentum. As the NBI digs deeper – with whispers of more officers in the crosshairs – the message is clear: In the Philippines’ battle against the shadows of illegal gaming, even the guardians must guard against greed.