SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said the recent statement of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) about the lobbying of a former Cabinet official “proves” links of high government officials to “illegal” Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
Gatchalian issued the statement after Pagcor said on Saturday that a former ranking Cabinet official has lobbied for POGO hubs which were later raided after they were used as fronts for human trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping, prostitution, and scamming activities, among other crimes. The agency did not name the official but said Pagcor chairman Alfredo Tengco will identify the ex-Cabinet man “in the proper forum.”
Another hearing has been scheduled by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality on the ills of POGOs.
In an advisory, the office of Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros, panel chair, said the inquiry will be held on July 10.
Committee chair Sen. Risa Hontiveros earlier expressed hope Tengco will attend the next hearing and consider it the “right forum to reveal what he knows.”
Gatchalian said the former Cabinet official should be held accountable.
“The involvement of a former cabinet official with illegal POGOs is deeply alarming and proves POGOs link to high government officials. Any conflict of interest or breaches of legal and ethical standards must be fully addressed with utmost severity. Pagcor must disclose all information and reveal other personalities involved to aid in the ongoing investigations,” he said.
“Any violation of the law from their ranks is betrayal of public trust,” he added.
At least three senators have called on Tengco to identify the former Cabinet official, saying it is unfair to the others who know nothing about POGO operations.
The Senate committee tackling the of POGO operations has yet to issue the list of resource persons, but Hontiveros, during the last hearing on June 26, said she expects Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, her family members, and other resource persons who were not present to attend the next scheduled hearing.
Guo did not show up at the last hearing, saying she was no longer not fit to be a resource person as the inquiry has caused her so much stress.
This did not sit well with Hontiveros who later subpoenaed Guo, her family members, and the other absent resource persons. She said she will have Guo and the others arrested if they continue to snub committee hearings.
THREATS
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission chief Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz yesterday said their personnel and witnesses against POGOs have been receiving death threats.
He said it is quite normal for their staff members to receive death threats, but witnesses receiving threats is a different story as it may affect ongoing investigations on POGOs.
“They will instill fear on those who implement the law against these illegal POGOs in a bid to affect our decision in whatever we do against them. This is our job and we must implement the law,” Cruz said in Filipino during an interview with radio dzRH.
Cruz said people behind the death threats are also trying prevent the witnesses from saying what they know during investigations.
He said these people are well-funded as they have the capability to change the course of the investigations.
“We have many witnesses…That’s what we are afraid of because we do not want that the cases to be ruined,” he added.
