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CITY OF Balanga, Bataan – The Bataan Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), and Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) held their fourth-quarter joint meeting on November 13, 2024, at the Bataan Tourism Pavilion. The agenda included awarding of checks to top-performing barangays in the 2024 Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards (LTIA) and discussions surrounding the October 31 raid at Central One Bataan PH in Bagac.
The meeting focused on the recent operation led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) at Central One Bataan PH, a business process outsourcing (BPO) company in Bagac, over suspected Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO)-related activities. Around 300 employees of the facility attended the meeting, represented by the company’s legal counsel.
A total of fourteen (14) employees shared their concerns, describing fear and distress and traumatic experiences from the raid. Issues of alleged mistreatment by the raiding team were also raised, sparking questions and heightened emotions from the attendees.
Representatives from the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG), PNP Region 3, Bataan PNP, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 3, the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB), and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) were present. The PAOCC, however, did not send representatives, despite repeated coordination from DILG Bataan as head secretariat of the peace and order council, leaving some questions unresolved.
The meeting was presided over by Governor Joet Garcia, with Vice Governor Cris Garcia, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, representatives from congressional offices, city/municipal mayors, civil society organizations, national government agencies, and provincial government offices also in attendance. DILG officials included OIC-Regional Director Jay Timbreza CESO IV, Regional Legal Officer Atty. Jacqueline Evangelista, Provincial Director Belina Herman CESO V, and Cluster Team Leader Cristy Blanco.
Earlier, awards were presented to barangays recognized for excellence in peacekeeping and dispute resolution through the 2024 LTIA. Barangays Cupang Proper in Balanga, Sta. Lucia in Samal, and Mulawin in Orani received honors and checks from the provincial government worth fifty thousand pesos each (Php 50,000) with Lupon chairpersons and members accepting the awards.
The joint session highlighted Bataan’s dual focus on security concerns and the vital role of barangays in maintaining peace and order across the province.
| PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE |
