PAGCOR: Harry Roque is 'legal head' of raided POGO hub

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:51 p.m.) — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is the "legal head" of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Pampanga that authorities raided twice last month for human trafficking, torture and scams, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) on Wednesday.

PAGCOR chief Alejandro Tengco said Roque appeared before his office in July 2023 to provide legal support to a certain Cassandra Lee Ong, who sought PAGCOR's help on the financial issues of Lucky South 99, the sprawling POGO compound in Porac, Pampanga that she is the authorized representative of. 

During the Senate women and gender equality committee's fourth hearing, Tengco also presented the organizational chart attached to the documents submitted by Lucky South 99 for their original license application, which designated Harry Roque as "legal."

Roque said in a video statement posted Wednesday afternoon that he has never had a lawyer-client relationship with Lucky South 99, and that the POGO hub was not yet tagged as illegal when he facilitated its reapplication for license in 2023. He added that he did not give his permission to be included in the POGO hub's organizational chart.

This revelation by Tengco follows his earlier promise to name the former Cabinet official under then-President Rodrigo Duterte who facilitated the issuance of licenses to illegal POGO hubs.

Tengco said Roque went to his office accompanied by Ong, the authorized representative of Lucky South 99, whom the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has tagged as a person of interest in their investigation into the Porac hub. PAGCOR Assistant Vice President Jessa Mariz Fernandez was also present at the meeting.

Ong had asked PAGCOR to allow Lucky South 99 to pay its unpaid taxes in installments, which Tengco estimated to be no less than $500,000.

Tengco said that in making her request, Ong claimed to have been duped by a certain Dennis Cunanan, who allegedly collected six months' worth of tax payments on behalf of Ong but did not remit them to PAGCOR. Cunanan also allegedly charged them additional fees.

"Sabi ko sakanya, ano ba ang inyong pakay dito?