MAY permit na mula sa AFAB (Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan) ang Central One Bataan PH, Inc. kaya hindi na kailangan ng permit galing sa Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR).

Ito ang sinabi ni Joet Angeles, senior member of the board of directors of AFAB.

May sariling charter at authorized na mag issue ng POGO permit at gaming activities ang AFAB sa kanyang nasasakupan.

“Kawawa naman ang mga mahigit 1,500 na personnel na mawawalan ng trabaho,” anang isang colonel na ayaw pabanggit ang pangalan.

Pinasara ng Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission ang Central One Bataan PH, Inc. matapos itong i-raid dahil daw sa scamming at iba pang illegal activities.

“No such scam, no such illegal activities as far we know since we have been working there for almost two years,” anang employee mula sa Mariveles na ayaw magpabanggit ng pangalan.

Sinabi ng personnel na na-trauma sila nang biglang pasukin ng mga armadong PAOCC at Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) personnel ang kanilang kompanya.

Sa statement, sinabi ng AFAB na ang “Central One Bataan is an enterprise registered with the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) and is currently operating in a FAB Expansion Area located in Bagac, Bataan.”

“AFAB, by itself or jointly with other concerned regulatory bodies, regularly conducts inspections on our locators and registered enterprises to ensure they are compliant with the terms and conditions of the authority granted to them.”

We are aware of coverage on news media outlets that Central One has recently been the subject of a court-issued search warrant carried out by the Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission.

AFAB has not yet received official copies of the warrant, or any document relating to the said incident.

AFAB will issue another official statement after it has seen copies of the documents or upon proper communication with appropriate government authorities has been made.

We remain dedicated to upholding the integrity of our regulatory framework and will ensure that all necessary actions align with the investigation’s findings and legal standards,” sabi ng AFAB