5 CRUCIAL BILLS
THE lead chair of the Lower House’s Quad Comm has underscored the significant achievements of the panel with the filing of five initial legislative measures aimed to address urgent flaws and gaps in country’s current legal framework, particularly those concerning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) extra-judicial killings, and civil forfeiture of real estate and cancellation of birth certificates, illegally or fraudulently acquired, by foreign nationals.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Quad Comm lead chair and chairman of the House’s Dangerous Drugs panel, said Quad Comm also has recommended at least 30 proposed amendments intended to strengthen further several existing laws and ensure that certain abuses and misdeeds in the past are prevented from happening again in the future.
“Out of the series of hearings conducted by Quadcom, lawmakers and the public were informed and enlightened on how criminals and unscrupulous individuals or groups managed to use the flaws, loopholes and weaknesses on some of our existing laws, in the furtherance of their criminal activities. The Quadcom is out to review, scrutinize and come up with new bills or amendments to correct those flaws and gaps in our laws,” Barbers said.
The lawmaker from Mindanao enumerated the initial four bills earlier filed by Quadcom as: House Bill 10986 — Classifying and penalizing extra-judicial killings as a heinous crime, while providing reparations for the victims; House Bill 10987 — Prohibiting all forms of offshore gaming operations in the country, with severe penalties for violations; House Bill 11043 — Allowing civil forfeiture of unlawfully acquired real estate properties by foreign nationals; House Bill 11117 — Providing for the administrative cancellation of birth certificates fraudulently obtained by foreign nationals; and House Bill 10998 — Punishing conspiracy and proposal to commit espionage.
Barbers said the legislative inquiry in aid of legislation carried out by Quadcom during its hearings, which include extensive research and data gathering, the search for resource persons and relevant documents, were no easy task for all the Quadcom co-chairs and members.
“Napakadali lang para sa mga kritiko, lalo na iyung mga bayaran, na sirain o gibain ang ngalan at nagawa ng Quadcom, ng mga co-chairs at members nito. Sadyang di nila pinapansin o binibigyan ng importansya ang mga mahahalagang findings ng Quadcom tulad ng pagkakilala sa mga Pinoy at Chinese individuals na pasok sa drug smuggling sa bansa, mga Pinoy at banyaga na nagbibigay ng proteksyon sa mga POGO at sa mga ibat-ibang illegal na gawain nito, at sa mga otoridad na nagbigay ng proteksyon at pera sa mga alagad ng batas para magsagawa ng EJKs na ikinamatay ng may 30,000 na biktima na hindi binigyan ng due process o hustisya,” he explained.
Quadcom’s probe on EJKs, Barbers said, brought to light a harrowing narrative of abuse of power and institutional impunity during the Duterte administration.
The formation of Quadcom – composed of the House committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Public Accounts and Human Rights – and its eventual alarming related discoveries stemmed from a routine probe into the P3.9 billion illegal drugs bust in San Jose Malino, Mexico, Pampanga in September 2023.
The probe unearthed the illicit operations of Empire 999 real estate firm owned by Chinese nationals, led by one Willie Ong, masquerading as Filipino citizens who are engaged in massive illegal land acquisitions involving hundreds of hectares of lands, and their ties to local officials and foreign syndicates, unraveling the corruption and systemic exploitation.
“Upon deeper probe, the panel uncovered from Empire 999 corporate papers that its incorporators are linked to the illegal drug trade and organized crime activities facilitated by POGOs. What was initially presented as a revenue-generating industry has instead become a breeding ground for illegal activities such as illegal drugs, human trafficking, money laundering, investment scams, cybercrimes, tortures and even murders,” Barbers said.
“Sa ating initial na imbestigasyon dito sa Empire 999, nakita natin na ang modus operandi ng mga POGO ay gumamit ng Pinoy at Tsinoy na dummies bilang nominal owners at magtatag ng mga kaduda-dudang magkaka-ugnay na layers ng mga korporasyon upang itago ang tunay na pinagmulan ng pondo at identity ng mga tao sa likod nito,” he added.
“Ang ganitong modus o layering ay hindi lamang nagtatago sa source nila ng pondo, kundi pinapaliit din nito ang mga dapat nilang bayaran na buwis at nagbibigay proteksyon din sa pagkakakilanlan sa mga operators nito.
