In an unexpected twist, authorities in the Philippines have uncovered a series of secret hospitals offering plastic surgery services to fugitives and scammers looking to evade arrest. According to reports, these clandestine clinics provide the means for criminals to alter their appearances dramatically, making it nearly impossible for law enforcement to track them down.
Winston John Casio, a spokesman for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, stated, “You can create an entirely new person out of those.” This highlights the extreme lengths to which these operations go to ensure that their clients can slip under the radar.
The crackdown began with a police raid on a hospital in the southern suburbs of Manila. This led to the discovery of a second facility. Both hospitals are slated for closure in the coming weeks, as reported by the BBC.
The investigation kicked off with an anonymous tip about an unlicensed hospital operating in Pasay, just five miles south of Manila. An intelligence officer confirmed the hospital’s existence, initially thought to be a stand-alone operation. However, this raid revealed a more extensive network.
In the raid, authorities arrested two Vietnamese doctors, one Chinese doctor, one Chinese pharmacist, and a Vietnamese nurse. None of these individuals had licenses to practice medicine in the Philippines.
These hospitals are tied to the country’s troubling “Philippines offshore gaming operator” (POGO) industry. While POGO claims to be an online casino, it’s actually a front for a scam center employing hundreds of workers, many of whom are Chinese nationals. These hospitals cater specifically to POGO workers, helping them change their appearances with procedures like hair transplants, dentures, and skin whitening to evade capture.
During a raid in May, authorities found tools for these operations, confirming their suspicions. Casio detailed the extent of the services offered: “They had an operating table, and other aesthetic alteration procedures such as dental implants, hair restoration, facial rejuvenation, and so on.” He emphasized that these transformations could create entirely new identities for individuals.
Casio also noted that these POGO hospitals operate without the necessary licenses and permits from government regulatory agencies. However, he clarified that these services are primarily for POGO workers and not for other types of criminals.
The commission is committed to investigating the full scope of these secret hospitals. This includes identifying the number of locations and the patients who assume fake identities after leaving. The Bureau of Immigration will assist in this investigation.
POGO centers have been a significant concern for the Philippines due to their links to criminal activity. The issue gained more attention when the mayor of Bamban, Alice Guo, came under investigation. Authorities allege that Guo might be a Chinese national who helped establish a POGO scam center in Bamban, which carried out “love scams.” These scams involve workers adopting fake identities to establish romantic relationships online and extort money from victims.
Casio stressed that tackling the POGO centers is a top priority due to their potential connections to a vast transnational crime network. The uncovering of these secret hospitals only adds to the urgency of addressing the broader issues associated with POGO operations.
