The revelation by Alejandro Tengco, chief executive officer and president of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), is set to be the next point of discussion upon the resumption of the Senate’s investigation into the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday pressed Tengco to name the “former high-ranking government official” whom he said attempted to lobby for licenses for the illegal POGO hubs.

“This is a new angle involving a former Cabinet member. This is a new angle, but it is consistent with the pattern of POGOs recruiting influential people. This is concrete evidence that there are people who are indeed linked to POGOs,” Gatchalian told reporters in an ambush interview.

“Yes, he [Tengco] should name this person. He should tell us what he knows. He should not only name this person, he must also provide documents that bear this person’s name so it would not be disregarded as hearsay,” he added.

Over the weekend, Tengco, without naming the former high-ranking government official, said those who are investigating the proliferation of illegal POGOs must also look into “other controversial individuals behind these criminal POGO enterprises.”

The Pagcor chief has since been urged by senators to reveal the identity of the former government official.

Tengco said he would name the person only in the “proper forum.”

Gatchalian said he was not discounting the possibility that Pagcor was trying to divert the public’s attention from its failure to regulate the illegal POGO hubs.

“It is possible. PagcoR’s accountability will always be there,” he said.