SENATE, Pasay City — Following the recent raid on a travel agency allegedly involved in issuing “questionable but genuine” Philippine government documents to foreign nationals, Senator Sherwin 'Win' Gatchalian wants to know if criminal syndicates have already infiltrated government agencies.

In raising this question, Gatchalian enthused that among the agencies which might have been infiltrated include the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“It is undeniable that this scheme enables Philippine offshore gaming operators, especially after we learned that ONE I) complainant paid ₱900,000 to this company to free her fiancé and another paid ₱1.1 million for her husband’s release after a raid in Parañaque,” the senator noted.

According to Gatchalian, the raid likewise highlights the need to grant the PSA “greater authority to prevent the issuance of fraudulent birth registrations and to penalize civil registrars who facilitate such fake documents.”

“Law enforcement agencies must continue their commendable efforts to dismantle these syndicates’ illegal operations, as they may be enabling the continued stay of remnants of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country,” he cited.