PAGCOR chief: Roque should confront Porac POGO rep for naming him legal head

Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque should confront the authorized representative of the raided POGO firm in Porac, Pampanga for stating that he was the legal head of the company in its organization chart.

Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said this amid Roque's denial that he was a legal counsel of Lucky South 99 POGO firm.

In an interview over Dobol B TV, Tengco reiterated that when the POGO firm reapplied their license, they submitted the organizational chart stating that Roque heads their legal team.

"Noon pong nag-apply sila may sinubmit silang organization chart nakalagay po d'on, may box po don...'Legal, Harry Roque.'...Kung hindi niya nakita 'yon at hindi niya in-authorize 'yon eh hindi po siguro problema ng PAGCOR 'yon dahil 'yon po ay part of the submittals for the application of the renewal of license of that company," Tengco said.

(When they applied to renew their license, they submitted an organization chart which indicated 'Legal, Harry Roque.' If he did not see that or he did not authorize that, then it's not the problem of PAGCOR anymore because that is part of their submissions for the application of the renewal of the license of that company.)  

"Dapat po kay Secretary Roque ang i-confront niya si Cassandra Ong [and say] 'Bakit nilagay mo ang pangalan ko d'yan?'" he added.

(Secretary Roque should confront Cassandra Ong and ask her why they included his name on that organizational chart.)  

He was referring to Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of Lucky South 99 whom he said was accompanied by Roque in a meeting on July 26, 2023, to ask them to give the POGO firm a chance to pay their arrears for six months amounting to around US$500,000, which they already paid through Dennis Cunanan, but was not received by PAGCOR.

Apart from that, Tengco said Roque and Ong asked for the POGO firm license's reapplication as it was set to expire in October last year.

Roque was no longer a public official when the meeting happened.

The former Cabinet official reached out to PAGCOR Offshore Gaming Licensing Department head Jessa Fernandez six times to follow up the POGO firm's reapplication.  

Fernandez said Lucky South 99's license reapplication was denied because they found reasons not to grant them one.

For Tengco, he interpreted Roque's acts as "either helping or lawyering" for the POGO firm.

"Sa pananaw ko po, talagang he's most probably either helping or lawyering for them," the PAGCOR chief said.

(In my opinion, he's most probably either helping or lawyering for them.)  

"Natural ko lang pong sasabihin na siya'y nakikiusap para doon sa kompanyang 'yon. Ikaw ba ay tatawag, ikaw ba ay magpa-follow up, ikaw ba ay mangangamusta kung kamusta na ang application...kayo na po bahala ang mag-conclude," he added.

(It is natural to conclude that he is asking for help for that company. Why did you call, follow up, and ask for updates on the application? It's up to you to draw conclusions.)

While he stood by the statement he made during the Senate investigation into the raided POGO hub, Tengco reiterated that Roque did not pressure him nor exert extra effort to grant the license to Lucky South 99.

Sought for comment, Roque told GMA News Online that he "did not consent to that neither did I know about that. Moreover, I did not prepare (the organization chart)."

In a press statement on Wednesday, Roque said he is not and never been a legal counsel of any illegal POGO and was neither a counsel of Lucky South 99.

"I clarify that I did not consent to nor was I informed of my name's inclusion in any submission by Lucky South with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) concerning license renewal," he said.

Roque further said that he accompanied Ong in the meeting "because I thought Lucky South--- Whirlwind’s principal---was a victim of estafa. By way of accommodation, I joined Ms. Ong since I was then persuading Whirlwind to invest in two energy projects of which I was the primary proponent."

He added that Ong is Whirlwind’s Corporate Secretary.

"As a lawyer, I could not directly engage with the POGO because of a potential conflict of interest and given the soured lease contract between Whirlwind and Lucky South," said Roque.—AOL, GMA Integrated News