Senators raise alarm over ex-cabinet official who lobbied for illegal POGOs

Senators raised the alarm over the possible links of a former cabinet official in the illegal operations of some Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in the country.

Senator Win Gatchalian said any conflicts of interest or breaches of legal and ethical standards “must be fully addressed with the utmost severity.”

“The involvement of a former cabinet official with illegal POGOs is deeply alarming and proves POGOs link to high government officials,” he said.

Gatchalian urged the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to disclose all information and reveal other involved personalities.

He said government officials should lead the best example of integrity and trustworthiness of the people.

“We must hold accountable those members of the government who are complicit in illegal and criminal activities. They, whom we trust to lead with integrity, have a higher responsibility to show upright and proper conduct,” Gatchalian said.

“Any violation of the law from their ranks is a betrayal of the public trust,” he added.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who’s been leading the Senate investigation into the raided POGOs, said PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco to attend the hearing himself.

“We are calling a next hearing and I hope the PAGCOR chief deems it the right forum to reveal what he knows,” she said.

She stressed that PACGOR should not differentiate between legal and illegal POGOs.

“Whoever that ex-Cabinet official turns out to be, the fact remains: POGOs are being used as a legal cover for scam hubs. Napatunayan na ng imbestigasyon sa Senado na kahit pa may ligal na lisensya mula mismo sa PAGCOR, may mga criminal activities parin na nangyayari sa POGO,”

Meanwhile, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero stressed the need to identify if the former official violated any laws.

“PAGCOR should name the 'official!' If not, [the] committee chaired and headed by Senators Hontiveros and Gatchalian should unmask this official—so that not all 'former high ranking cabinet officials' will be looked upon with suspicion—and find out if he/she violated any laws,” said Escudero.

The next Senate inquiry over the illegal POGOs in the country is set on 10 July.

Tengco, in his statement on Saturday, said those investigating the suspicious activities of former POGO licensees must also dig deep into the former officials and their conduits who lobbied to secure the grant of licenses to POGO applicants with dubious backgrounds.

“We are also ready to reveal the roles of other controversial individuals behind these criminal POGO enterprises,” Tengco said after senators raised alarm over his allegations.

The PAGCOR official stressed that the government has been weeding out illegal operators.

He cited the significant decrease in the number of POGO licenses from 298 during the previous administration to only 43 licensees under the Marcos administration.

“What we need to question, in the first place, was how those 298 POGO licensees were able to secure their licenses in the past because clearly, during our cleansing process, we found most of them to be ineligible and outright suspicious,” he said.

Tengco said he would name the official at the proper forum.