PORAC, Pampanga – A handover from father to daughter went the reins of local governance here on March 9 with Vice Mayor Jen Capil assuming the mayoralty as her father Mayor Jaime “Jing” Capil started serving his 90-day suspension from office over graft charges related to the illegal operations of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in this town.
Served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the suspension order was issued in a resolution by acting Presiding Judge Josephine Advento of the Regional Trial Court Branch 265 on Feb. 23.
“Accused Capil was charged with committing fraud when he gave unwarranted benefit, advantage, and preference to Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. by approving, issuing, and granting a mayor’s business permit in favor of Lucky South 99 to operate as a Pogo despite not being legally entitled to such permit,” read a portion of the suspension order.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission raided the POGO facilities located in a leased property of the Royal Garden Golf and Country Club Estate in Barangay Sta. Cruz in 2024 and subsequently filed the criminal case, which includes seven counts of graft for violations of RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
In October 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman under then-Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the preventive suspension of Capil, incumbent Vice Mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo, members of the sangguniang bayan for gross neglect of duty in relation to the illegal POGO operations.
The Ombudsman explained that there was “clear substantial evidence” to conclude that Capil committed the allegation for his actions granting and issuing of mayor’s business permit in favor of Lucky South 99 POGO for 2021, 2022, and 2023 despite its non-compliance with mandatory requirements which “are blatant substantiation of the legal transgressions that he committed.”
In April 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman found Capil guilty of “gross neglect of duty” and imposed the penalty of dismissal from service, including the cancellation of his government service eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from reemployment in the government.
In November 2025, the RTC Branch 265 issued a warrant of arrest against Capil over seven counts of violations of(Sections 3(e) and 3(j) of RA 3019.
In December 2025, Capil posted a cash bond of P630,000 for his temporary liberty. Punto News Team
