Senate panel to invite ex-TLRC exec Cunanan to POGO hearing

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the Senate will invite former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) deputy director general Dennis Cunanan to a hearing to clarify his alleged links to the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga. 

Hontiveros said based on official documents, Cunanan had introduced himself as the "authorized representative" for the Hong Sheng POGO in Bamban and the Lucky South POGO in Porac.

Cunanan was sentenced to 26 years in prison for his involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. 

"We will invite Mr. Cunanan to the next hearing to clarify his involvement," Hontiveros said in a statement.

"Basta may POGO, may koneksyon sa scam. Sabi ko nga, lahat ng POGO, masama. There is no differentiation between bad POGO or 'good' POGO. It seems that POGOs are deliberately tapping former and present officials they can easily corrupt," she added.

(As long as there is POGO, there’s a connection to scams. As I said, all POGOs are bad. There’s no differentiation between bad POGO or 'good' POGO. It seems that POGOs are deliberately tapping former and present officials they can easily corrupt.)

Hontiveros also said Cunanan could be the link between the Bamban POGO hub, where authorities rescued more than 800 Fiipinos and foreign nationals, and the Porac POGO hub, where around 158 individuals were rescued.

In an earlier statement, Cunanan's counsel Iryl Boco said the former TLRC official "has not been affiliated with any POGO since October 2022." 

"Mr. Cunanan served solely as an independent consultant. His involvement was limited to providing consultancy on corporate communication and government relations services. At no point did he hold any executive or managerial position, nor was he involved in the day-to-day operations or  strategic decisions," Boco said. 

When sought for comment, Cunanan echoed Boco’s remark, saying that he was contracted as an independent consultant to help the companies register for possible POGO operations, adding that the companies at that time were “properly and legally registered.”

“We were never and have not ever been part of the companies' operations and activities. Our consultancy engagements are very limited and defined to support their respective proper registration,” he said in a message sent to GMA's Jonathan Andal.

Cunanan also stressed that he is no longer connected to the companies.

“Please take note that we are not anymore connected to the companies mentioned as evidenced by their recent re-applications for licensing or renewal of licenses where we are not anymore part or engaged as their consultant or representative,” he said.

Meanwhile, he stressed that he has more acquittals than convictions and that the conviction being mentioned by Hontiveros is pending before the Supreme Court.

The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality is currently looking into the Bamban POGO, which was raided in March. 

In her statement, Hontiveros, who is leading the investigation into the Bamban POGO hub, also called on other government officials to join the call to ban POGOs.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila earlier urged the Philippine government to ban POGOs as "ample evidence shows that POGO breeds serious crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, human trafficking, and murder." —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK/RF, GMA Integrated News