LAWMAKERS yesterday invited former presidential spokesman Harry Roque to explain his side after Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) chairman Alejandro Tengco denied his claim that he was not representing Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc. – the operator of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) facility in Porac, Pampanga that was recently raided by authorities – when they met in July last year.
On the motion of Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, the House Joint Committee on Public Order and Safety and Games and Amusement invited Roque to explain why he said he requested the meeting for his client, Whirlwind Corporation, a service provider which owns the lot where the Lucky South 99 facility was built.
“Number one, Whirlwind was never in the discussion. Number two, Whirlwind was never a (Pagcor) licensee. And number three, Whirlwind never applied for a license with Pagcor,” Tengco told the joint panel which is investigating the social ills brought about by the proliferation of POGOs, including crimes of torture, murder, human trafficking, rape and illegal detention.
Adiong said the joint panel has to invite Roque and other former government officials if the House really wants to dig deeper into the POGO issue, especially since it has national security implications because of the involvement of many Chinese citizens in the country, many of whom have reportedly secured fake Filipino citizenships.
Tengco first linked Roque to Lucky South 99 in a hearing at the Senate, where he said that the former spokesman requested a meeting to discuss a $500,000 tax arrear of the POGO hub.
According to Tengco, Roque represented Lucky South as its legal counsel.
Roque has denied that he was the firm’s legal counsel, saying that Whirlwind was his “only client” and that he accompanied Cassandra Ong, Lucky South’s corporate secretary, “to ensure that Whirlwind would not allow the use of their leased properties to violate the law.” He said Whirlwind would incur legal liability and financial losses should the Lucky South’s license be canceled due to its arrears.
The joint committee also invited Ong to attend the next hearing.
During yesterday’s hearing, Tengco reiterated his earlier statements before the Senate that Roque facilitated a meeting between him and Lucky South to seek reconsideration for the firm’s unpaid $500,000 tax arrear, adding that former spokesman of then president Rodrigo Duterte was listed as legal counsel of the offshore gaming company.
“It was for Lucky South 99 sapagkat sinulatan po ang Lucky South 99 na sila ay anim na buwan nang di nagbabayad sa Pagcor, so definitely, with due respect to former Sec. Roque, wala pong napag-usapan tungkol sa Whirlwind duon sa pulong namin (because a letter was sent to Lucky South 99 for its unpaid arrears to Pagcor for the past six months, so definitely, with due respect to Sec. Roque, nothing was discussed about Whirlwind in our meeting),” he told Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the public order and safety panel.
Tengco said Roque also requested him to help Lucky South renew its license, which it was able to secure under the previous administration, but he advised him to go through all the list of documents and all other requirements “and we’ll evaluate the application for renewal.”
“Hind po naman nampe-pressure si Atty. Harry Roque, siya ho ay nakikiusap na kung maaari ay tulungan si Cassandra Ong (Atty. Harry Roque wasn’t pressuring me, he was making a request for me to help Cassandra Ong). So, in answer to your question, I believe, Atty. Roque, being a lawyer, was helping out a client, that was my impression,” he told Adiong.
Jessa Fernandez, Pagcor assistant vice president and head of its overseas gaming licensing division, said Lucky South’s application for renewal of license was eventually denied although the company was able to pay all of its arrears.
402 ILLEGAL POGOs
It was revealed during the hearing that while there are 78 legal POGO operations supervised by the Pagcor, a significant number of illegal operators continue to function.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) provided intelligence on the locations and operations of 402 illegal POGOs across the country.
Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz, the PAOCC executive director, said the 402 includes canceled POGOs, as well as identified scam farms.
The joint panel called for an immediate and decisive crackdown on the 402 illegal POGOs.
Rep. Fernandez said that the mayors and heads of Business Permits and Licensing Offices (BPLO) in cities and municipalities hosting POGO hubs must take responsibility in verifying and enforcing the closure of the illegal hubs.
The role of LGUs was highlighted following recent raids on POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac, and in Porac, Pampanga.
During the hearing, which streamed live on social media, the joint committee allowed the PAOCC to play video clips of the torture of foreigners who worked in illegal POGO hubs, including a naked Asian male who was screaming in pain as he was being electrocuted.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said POGO employees were tortured whenever their bosses raised suspicions that they are leaking information to law enforcers.
At one point, Adiong urged the panel chairmen to stop playing the videos, saying some people “have low tolerance for these torture videos, especially women.” “Remember we are live streamed on YouTube and there are kids who may view these videos. Testimony and stories are enough,” he said.
Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez, however, defended the panel’s decision to play the “gruesome videos,” saying the public needs to see what’s really happening in POGO hubs.
“Gruesome as it may be to show these videos, but it is very important for everyone to see what is happening inside the POGOs. Kasi mahirap ‘yung kuwentuhan lang tayo (It’s hard if we’re just chatting here). If people are seeing what’s happening in these POGO hubs, then you feel the pain, you feel the torture, and people are having an understanding,” he said.
Rep. Fernandez, for his part, said: “Mabigat man po ang mga eksena (The scenes may be heavy) but we have to tell to the Filipino people and the international community that this country is doing something.”
The PAOCC also presented to the panel rescued POGO workers, who all wore masks to protect their identities.
One of them, a Malaysian who was only identified as “Dylan,” recounted his horrifying experience, saying a Chinese friend sold him to Zun Yuan, the raided POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac for P300,000 after he came to the Philippines in 2021 when his old company moved to the country from Dubai.
Last March 13, 371 Filipinos and 497 foreigners were rescued from the Pogo hub which is linked to now suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, who is accused of having business interests in Baofu Land Development Inc. and faking his Filipino citizenship.
“In the face, they torture(d) me in the face, we got punched,” Dylan told the panel, adding that his phone was also confiscated and that he needed to buy his freedom by working for six months.
Casio said Dylan was able to call for help, using his company phone to contact his relatives in Malaysia, who then informed the Malaysian embassy, which, in turn, relayed the information to Philippine authorities.
SOCMED
Pagcor said another factor that contributes to the rapid growth of illegal casinos is the use of social media influencers who are using Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube “to encourage prospective players to try their luck in illegal platforms.”
“Itong mga illegal game offerings na mukhang legal (These illegal game offerings appear legal) but they have no protection for the players who will pay in the platform, walang contribution sa (no contribution to the) government, walang (no) customer verification, so marami pong mga kabataan na maaaring makapaglaro sa illegal platforms (so many young people can play through illegal platforms),” said Pagcor’s Fernandez.
MICHAEL YANG
In the Senate, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa yesterday said that the mere association of former president Rodrigo Duterte with Michael Yang, whose brother has been linked to the operation of illegal POGOs, is not enough to implicate him in the illegal activity.
Dela Rosa made the remark after Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said that the Senate investigation into the POGOs issue may expand to include Duterte once Yang’s ties to illegal offshore gaming hubs are established.
Dela Rosa said he knew Duterte well, and that he will not condone any illegal activity.
“If they have the goods, file a case against Michael Yang. I don’t think they can implicate former President Duterte. If there is evidence, then they must do it. But if only by mere association, (I doubt it),” Dela Rosa said in a mix of Filipino and English.
The possible link of Yang, a former economic adviser of Duterte, was hinted by Hontiveros after an investigation of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which was submitted to the Committee on Women, showed that Baofu Land Development Inc., where Guo has interests, has direct connections with Yu Zheng Can, an incorporator of Hong Sheng Gaming Technology Inc., the operator of the illegal POGO hub raided in Bamban, Tarlac on February 2023; and Hongjiang Yan, who is the brother of Michael Yang.
Hontiveros said Hongjiang is an incorporator of the Full Win Group of Companies, where Gerald Cruz is an incorporator of Pharmally Biological. Cruz is the same person who is an incorporator of Brickhartz POGO facility whose documents were found in the Bamban POGO hub.
“In short, the money of Michael Yang’s brother was used to fund Hong Sheng, the raided Bamban POGO,” Hontiveros said.
Dela Rosa said Duterte is against any illegal activity since his days as mayor of Davao City and will not allow any of his acquaintances to get involved in anything illegal.
“I don’t think iko-condone ni pangulo yan. Sa Davao pa lang kami, instructions sa akin itong mga Chinese kapag may ginawa, operate-an mo (I don’t think the former president will condone that. I remember when we were in Davao [when I was the city police chief], he [Duterte] instructed me to operate on these Chinese should they get involved in any illegal activities),” Dela Rosa said.
SONA
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday reiterated he expected President Marcos Jr. to “surprise” the public with an announcement on his administration’s formal position on the POGO issue when he delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
In a chance interview, Pimentel said: “Kasi Bagong Pilipinas siya nang Bagong Pilipinas, meron (ba) siyang bagong polisiya tungkol sa POGO. Ihinto na yan (Because the President’s motto is Bagong Pilipinas [New Philippines], which he always mentions, but does he have a new policy on POGOs? That should be stopped now).”
“I-ban na po natin yang POGO. Yan ang tunay na magbabago ng kaunti sa kalagayan at itsura ng Pilipinas ngayon (Ban POGOs because that will somewhat change the image of the Philippines),” he added.
Dela Rosa said he will wait for the President to announce his stand on POGOs in his SONA speech.
“We cannot force the President, it’s his call kung gusto niya talaga (It’s his call if he really wants it),” he said, as he reiterated his stand for an immediate ban of POGOs since crimes related to the industry has elevated “to national security issue.”
“It has become a national threat already… We have to stop it,” he said. — With Raymond Africa
