Lobbyists mobbed Pagcor chief for licenses—official
Money may have changed hands for illegal POGOs to get support from former government officials, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said, as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation said there were several other lobbyists aside from an ex-Cabinet secretary.
“That (report on POGO lobbyists) shows that money really changed hands that is why these POGOs are able to get the support of former officials,” Angara said.
Pagcor chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco last week said a former Cabinet official tried to facilitate the grant of gaming licenses to some of the illegal POGOs that have been recently raided.
On Monday, the gaming regulator said “several government officials” approached the state gambling agency to lobby for the license of some POGOs.
“The Chairman himself got calls and hints from those officials. There were many who reached out to the Chairman, to Pagcor, for their request to get a license because as you know, a big sum of money is involved in this,” Pagcor Assistant Vice President Catalino Alano Jr. said.
Senate President Francis Escudero said in case Tengco declines to identify the ex-Cabinet official, the Upper Chamber is ready to start its own probe.
“Pagcor should name the ‘official!’ If not, [the] committee chaired and headed by Senators [Risa] Hontiveros and [Sherwin] Gatchalian should unmask this official so that not all ‘former high ranking cabinet officials’ will be looked upon with suspicion to and find out if he or she violated any laws,” Escudero said.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri added: “Let the axe fall as it may…if it can be proven that they indeed facilitated for the illegal POGOs.”
Hontiveros, who has been leading the Senate investigation into the raided POGOs, underscored the need for Tengco to attend the hearing and “reveal what he knows.”
Alano said Tengco will divulge what he knows in the next Senate hearing on July 10 if he will be invited.
“Whoever that ex-Cabinet official turns out to be, the fact remains: POGOs are being used as a legal cover for scam hubs. The Senate investigation has proven that even licensed POGOs are involved in criminal activities,” Hontiveros said.
“So Pagcor should not distinguish between illegal POGOs and legal POGOs,” she added.
Gatchalian said Tengco’s revelation was “deeply alarming.”
“This proves POGOs’ link to high government officials. Any conflicts of interest or breaches of legal and ethical standards must be fully addressed with the utmost severity. Pagcor must disclose all information and reveal other personalities involved to aid in the ongoing investigations,” he said.
“These officials, whom we trusted to lead with integrity, have the bigger responsibility to do what is right. Any violation of laws on their part is a betrayal of public trust,” Gatchalian said.
Senator Joel Villanueva said the ties with former government officials “should be enough proof to permanently ban POGOs in the country.”
“They have infiltrated not only the business and gaming industries but also our government, allegedly with local and even high-ranking officials serving as their protectors. Our duty as public servants is not to protect these illegal activities, but to put our people’s welfare as our main priority,” Villanueva said.
“POGOs, whether licensed, legitimate, or illegal are nothing but fronts for criminal activities. Ranging from money laundering, drug trafficking, human trafficking, protecting criminal syndicates engaged in murders, kidnapping, torture, rape and up to engaging in POGO politics, name it and surely it is all there.”
“POGO is the one-stop-shop of criminal activities. If we continue to allow their operations, we will all be consumed by its corrupt and criminal system until it becomes the accepted norm and our society becomes worthless. POGOs are a curse that have to be taken out from our system,” Gatchalian added.