PORAC, Pampanga – The House Quad Committee probing the involvement of public officials into the operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country has cleared suspended Porac Mayor Jaime “Jing” Capil, the vice mayor, and four councilors of any “involvement nor any wrongdoing.”
A certification issued by Quadcom lead chair Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers 2nd District—Surigao del Norte) on Feb. 11, 2025 said “the QUADCOM has no pending issues with Mayor Jaime V. Capil of the Municipality of Porac, province of Pampanga.”
“In so far as our exhaustive investigations done in aid of legislation regarding with the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), being undertaken by the Joint Committee in the House of Representatives, especially on illegal POGO operations in Porac, Pampanga, more particularly on the illegal operations of Lucky South 99, we found no involvement whatsoever nor any wrongdoing committed by Mayor Jaime V. Capil,” it furthered.
Barbers has also cleared suspended Vice Mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo, and councilors Rafael Canlapan, Adrian Carreon, Essel Joy David, and John Nuevy Venzon, of any wrongdoing.
Capil and the rest of the members of the Sangguniang bayan are serving a six-month suspension order issued last Oct. 7, 2024 by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The suspension order also included the late councilor Regin Clarete who died in May 2023. Clarete was replaced by his sister Myla Clarete, who is now the acting Porac Mayor.
“It was a vindication,” hailed Capil of the Quadcom clearance. “The truth sets us
free.”
“Kami po ay nagagalak… It’s a relief po sa amin. Hindi po tayo involved in any illegal operations of POGO. Nakikita pa rin namin sa aming mga kababayan na hindi sila naniniwala,” said the according to Capil. “Ito na po ang sasagot sa kanilang mga sinasabi.”
Seeking his third term, Capil is credited for transforming Porac from “sand-centricity” to a viable area for businesses made evident with the development projects of big firms such as Ayala Corp.
Porac town straddles the modern Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTex) and is just minutes away from the Clark International Airport and other flagship projects inside the Clark Freeport Zone such as the North-South Railway Project that will connect Clark airport to Manila all the way to Laguna. Punto News Team/PR
