FOUR TABLETS, TWO DESK TOP COMPUTERS TAKEN FROM BENGUET HOUSE

August 7, 2024 JUST IN

Tuba, Benguet (August 5, 2024)

Benguet policemen armed with a cyber warrant issued by a Benguet court took 8:30 Friday evening three Apple iPad, 1 Kindle iPad tablets and two Apple iMac desk top computers from the house where two Chinese fugitives linked to the POGO complex in Bamban , Tarlac were caught Saturday last week. Former Presidential spokesperson, lawyer Herminio “Harry” Roque Jr., himself witnessed the search at Lot 37, Block 23, Pinewoods Subd., in Poblacion here, saying, he even voluntarily allowed authorities Friday noon to “bag” alleged cyber tools of Sun Liming and Wan Yun (alias Yun Wan) ready for a supposed search and seizure operations of a later date.

Just as the two alleged Chinese fugitives were caught Friday last week at the house in Pinewoods, suspected by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) as an IT hub being used by Liming’s international scamming operation. Roque Jr. belied knowing Liming’s illegal dealings. The former presidential spokesperson insisted a corporation where he is an incorporator “Ph2 Blk 23 Lot 37 Pinewoods Inc” owns the Pinewoods house and only rented it out to the Chinese fugitives.

Though, the PAOCC has tagged Roque Jr. and his wife Maila as “persons of interest” prompting him to cooperate with authorities in the ongoing investigation of Liming and his cohorts. In a sudden turn of event late afternoon Friday, Tuba town policemen were able to obtain a “Warrant to search, seize, and examine computer data” by Regional Trial Court branch 62 Judge Leody M. Opolinto ordering them to seize the cyber gadgets, suspected by authorities as tools of Liming’s international scamming activities raking in billions of Chinese Yuan and victimizing 200,000 Chinese citizens.

The search was witnessed also by Poblacion Tuba barangay chairman Oliver K. Paus and Barangay Kagawad Ephraim M. Basil. Roque Jr. maintained “there were no illegal items recovered although four tablets and two computer monitors were taken from the property pursuant to a Cyber Warrant subsequently procured after the search issued by the Regional Trial Court of Benguet.” He added, “the consent to voluntary search of the residence is only the beginning of our full cooperation to determine if Ph2 Inc or Atty Roque himself has any responsibility for the apprehension of the fugitive Chinese national.”

The former presidential spokesperson also claimed he had provided PAOCC chief Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz of a copy of the lease contract between Ph2 and Wan Yun to show the fugitives in question were only renters and had no business or any dealings with him nor his wife. Seized evidences from the Pinewoods house were brought by the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit-Cordillera for examination to find out culpabilities of those who might have become part of Liming’s illegal operation.

Artemio A. Dumlao