Enforcement of law vs scams urged
A PHILIPPINE senator on Monday urged the government to immediately enforce a recently signed law imposing tougher penalties on financial scammers and providing aid to human trafficking victims after authorities rescued more than 160 foreign nationals at an illegal offshore gaming hub in Cebu at the weekend.
In a statement, Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel cited a provision in the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA), which was signed into law in July, that would liquidate assets seized in cases of economic sabotage to be used as aid for human trafficking victims.
“AFASA also has a provision that allows the use of seized assets for victim protection. It is time we set the law in motion,” she said.
“Our hearings have strongly established that these POGOs are run by organized and syndicated criminal groups in complicit with some public officials.”
Under the AFASA law, individuals found guilty of economic sabotage face life imprisonment and a fine of at least P1 million but not more than P5 million. Those found guilty of fraud face jail time of as many as 12 years and a fine of not more than P1 million. — John Victor D. Ordoñez