Illegal gambling in the Philippines: suspended Porac mayor faces graft charges

Jaime Capil and other local officials are accused of being linked to offshore gaming operators.

The Philippines.- The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have lodged complaints of graft against Jaime Capil, the suspended mayor of Porac, Pampanga, and ten other local officials before the Department of Justice (DOJ). They accuse the officials of links to illegal offshore gaming operators.

The other officials were named as vice mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo, Emerald Vital, the officer-in-charge of the town’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), and eight others. They have been accused of violating Section 3(e), (f), and (j) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The charges were filed in connection with the operations of Lucky South 99, an illegal offshore gaming operator raided last June. The respondents were accused of expediting the approval of permits for the company from 2021 to 2023 despite incomplete and blank application forms. They allegedly neglected to act on law enforcement reports regarding purported criminal activities, such as human trafficking, occurring at the raided offshore gaming operator.

Earlier this week, authorities arrested Lyu Dong, dubbed the “godfather” of offshore gaming operators. He was arrested in Biñan, Laguna, following a surveillance operation over the past eight months. Dong, also known as Lin Xunhan, was arrested with 13 other Chinese nationals, all said to be offshore gaming operator leaders, and nine Filipinos, who are said to have been bodyguards. Officers claim to have seized several 9mm calibre firearms.

According to media, Lyu Dong arrived in the Philippines from China in 2016 and established a network of offshore gaming operators in various locations, including Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Ilocos, Calabarzon and Cebu.

See also: PAOCC says raided venues could be repurposed

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said: “This is a major achievement, as Lin Xunhan was included in the search warrant executed last June 4 against Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga. He is a Chinese national who has been operating scam networks in the country for a long time under a false identity. This underscores the critical need for constant vigilance and monitoring of cross-border activities involving high-profile individuals. It is also vital to investigate the Filipino bodyguards and associates linked to Lin Xunhan.”