Escudero to Roque: Attend Senate probe to answer allegations

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is hoping that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque will attend the continuation of the Senate probe into the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, to respond to “serious allegations'' against him.

“Anyone accused of anything has a right to face his accuser and air his side. I believe that these are serious allegations, which Sec. Roque should clarify, and I believe that the Committee will most likely invite him to get his side on this matter/issue,” Escudero said in a text message to reporters on Thursday.

“I hope Sec. Roque will make use of this opportunity,” he added.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, who leads the Senate investigation, said on Wednesday that the committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality will invite Roque to the next hearing.

During Wednesday’s inquiry, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco disclosed that Roque accompanied Cassandra Li Ong, the authorized representative of Lucky South 99—the raided POGO firm in Porac—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's license reapplication as it was set to expire in October last year.

Roque was named legal head of the POGO firm in its organizational chart submitted to PAGCOR for the renewal of their license.

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 on the POGO firm's reapplication.

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

Responding to this, Roque said he is not and has never been a legal counsel for any illegal POGO and was not a counsel for 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 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."

"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.

Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission spokesperson Winston John Casio earlier said Roque served as a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the company that leased its property to Lucky South 99.

In a separate text message, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Roque appeared to be acting as a private lawyer when he reached out to PAGCOR.

“Harry Roque is out of government and is a lawyer. Hence, maybe he is practicing his profession, which he is allowed to do under existing laws,” Pimentel said.

At the same time, Pimentel renewed his call to ban POGOs in the country.

“There is really a short cut to all these problems with POGOs. President Bongbong Marcos should simply order PAGCOR and other government agencies to stop POGO operations here in the Philippines," Pimentel said.

“Stop giving licenses and permits. Give the legal ones one month to wind down their operations. Say goodbye to POGO,” he added.

Senator Joel Villanueva likewise made the call, saying it is the duty of the government to make public safety and security its utmost priority amid crimes linked to POGOs.

Recently, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto recommended to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the total ban on POGOs due to the issues surrounding its operations. 

Authorities have launched a series of raids on POGO hubs, leading to the rescue of torture and kidnapping victims and the discovery of equipment for alleged criminal activities. —VBL, GMA Integrated News