Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco yesterday said the reported filing of charges against him and other officials over the alleged disappearance of a P75-million performance bond posted by an e-sabong company is an opportunity to find out the truth.

Tengco said while the alleged disappearance of the money happened during the previous administration, the case will determine accountability within the agency.

"While we find it strange that we are included in the alleged charges, we nevertheless will pursue our own investigation and determine what really happened and bring the perpetrators to justice, if indeed there was any anomaly," he said in a statement.

PAGCOR chief was reacting to reports that a certain Joaquin Sy, who claims to be the chairman and chief finance officer of Kamura Highlands Gaming and Holdings Inc., filed charges of malversation of public funds, qualified theft, and falsification of private and commercial documents before the Ombudsman.

Also named respondents are former PAGCOR chief Andrea Domingo and former board members Gabriel Claudio, Carmen Pedrosa, Reynaldo Concordia and James Patrick Bondoc, and current PAGCOR officer Dianne Erica Jogno.

Two of the former board members — Pedrosa and Concordia — had already passed away when the alleged disappearance of the P75 million took place sometime in July 2022, while Tengco assumed office only in August of the same year.

While the agency has not received any formal complaint from the Ombudsman, Tengco said they are already looking into the matter.