BAMBAN, TARLAC — Mayor-elect Jose Salting Jr. said he plans to repurpose the controversial POGO hub in Bamban into schools and a hospital once it is formally turned over to the local government.
“Our town lacks schools and a major hospital when the POGO hub is turned over to Bamban,” Salting said on the sidelines of Bam Aquino’s oath-taking in Concepcion, Tarlac on Wednesday, June 26.
The hub, previously operated by Zun Yuan Technology, was the site of a high-profile raid in March 2024, led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF). Authorities rescued 868 workers – 371 Filipinos and 497 foreign nationals – who were allegedly victims of human trafficking and serious illegal detention.
Currently under the custody of PAOCTF, the hub includes at least 36 buildings located just behind the Bamban municipal hall. Investigations are still ongoing, Salting said.
The fallout from the raid also led to the removal of then-mayor Alice Guo, who was implicated in the POGO operation. Guo is now detained at the Pasig City jail pending multiple charges.
Salting, who narrowly lost to Guo in the 2022 elections by just 468 votes, returned to public office in 2023 after winning in the barangay elections and serving as an ex-officio board member in the provincial government.