The Senate investigation into the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) scandal is gradually uncovering links to former President Rodrigo Duterte and his associates, a Senate panel was told on Wednesday.

Alejandro Tengco, chairman of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), disclosed that Harry Roque, former presidential spokesman, attempted to assist a POGO hub, Lucky South 99, in obtaining a license.

Speaking before the Senate committee on women, children, and family affairs, chaired by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Tengco clarified that Roque did not exert undue pressure but was involved in facilitating dealings with PAGCOR in July 2023.

“Former secretary Harry Roque came with a woman and introduced us,” Tengco recounted, referring to a meeting with Roque and Lucky South 99 representative Cassandra Lee Ong. “He said that Ms. Cassandra Lee Ong had issues paying all the billings of the company she represents in PAGCOR.”

Sen. Hontiveros announced that Roque and former PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo would be summoned to the next hearing to clarify Tengco’s revelations.

According to Tengco, Ong claimed their company owed over $500,000 in arrears. She asserted that they had been channeling payments through Dennis Cunanan, the company’s authorized representative.

However, PAGCOR records showed six months’ worth of unpaid bills. “Ong said she trusted Cunanan because he facilitated their license,” Tengco noted, adding that Ong, at just 19 years old, was inexperienced to represent the company.

During the hearing, Tengco emphasized that Roque did not pressure PAGCOR. “He requested us to assist Cassandra Ong, if possible. He didn’t make any follow-up,” said Tengco. “He was merely facilitating as Ong’s lawyer.”

PAGCOR assistant vice president Jessa Mariz Fernandez corroborated Tengco’s account, stating that Roque had contacted her office multiple times regarding the licensing documents for Lucky South 99. Despite these contacts, PAGCOR ultimately denied the license application in May 2024.

Hontiveros challenged Roque’s public claim that he represented only Whirlwind, a company leasing property to Lucky South 99, citing an organizational chart naming him as Lucky South 99’s legal counsel. “This contradicts what he said to the media,” Hontiveros stated.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada questioned whether Roque was simply performing his duties as a lawyer, to which Tengco responded affirmatively. “He wanted to help Ong as her lawyer,” Tengco said, mentioning a subsequent legal application in September 2023.

Roque vehemently denied representing an illegal POGO, asserting that he never served as legal counsel for Lucky South 99 and had no involvement in their organizational chart. “I challenge her to prove that I had a direct hand in preparing the said document,” Roque said on his Facebook vlog.

Adding to the controversy, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) presented bank documents belonging to Roque found during a raid on Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga. PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio showed these documents to reporters, suggesting further scrutiny of Roque’s involvement.

Sen. Hontiveros further highlighted a connection between a POGO company incorporator and the controversial Pharmally firm, implicated in overpriced COVID-19 supplies. She questioned whether PAGCOR noted these connections, to which Fernandez acknowledged recent awareness of these ties.

As the investigation unfolds, the luxurious lifestyle associated with illegal POGO hubs, including a raid on an opulent resort linked to Lucky South 99, raises further concerns about the extent of unlawful activities.

In response to these developments, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda supported shutting down illegal POGOs while retaining compliant operators. “Close down the bad ones, as you would in any industry,” Salceda recommended.