The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is planning to search the upper floors of an unlawful clinic in a three-story building in Makati City that serves employees of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
NBI Director Jaime Santiago noted that their initial search warrant only covered the ground floor, where a fully operational clinic was discovered catering to Chinese and Vietnamese patients, despite being registered merely as a drugstore.
Director Santiago emphasized their collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and mentioned plans to revisit the site on Monday to complete the search.
The clinic is reportedly linked to an illegal POGO hub in the Calabarzon region, which is also under NBI investigation.
During the raid, two local doctors did not cooperate with the authorities. Additionally, unregistered Chinese medicines were found on the premises.
Winston John Casio, a spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), suggested that this “phony hospital” might be designed to help POGO workers evade identification requirements when seeking medical care. (Aileen Lor)
