The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has revealed that a former high-ranking government official attempted to facilitate the granting of gaming licenses to several illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) recently raided for engaging in unlawful activities.
This revelation was made in a press release last Saturday.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco emphasized the importance of investigating the involvement of former officials and their associates in the issuance of licenses to POGO applicants with questionable backgrounds.
Tengco stated that he will disclose the identity of the former Cabinet member lobbying for the illegal POGOs and the circumstances that led to the proliferation of unlawful offshore gaming operations in the appropriate forum.
“As a regulator, it is our mandate to ensure that only those with valid licenses are allowed to operate all forms of gambling and gaming activities, whether these are land-based casinos or online platforms,” Tengco said.
“It is in the interest of the government to crack the whip against illegal operators, including the so-called offshore gaming operators or POGOs and their backers, because the criminal activities associated with their illegal operations pose serious threats to our people,” he added.
Tengco explained that the current administration’s efforts to eliminate illegal operators have led to a substantial reduction in the number of licensees, from 298 under the previous administration to just 43 now.
“What we need to question, in the first place, is how those 298 POGO licensees were able to secure their licenses in the past because, during our cleansing process, we found most of them to be ineligible and outright suspicious,” Tengco said. “We are also ready to reveal the roles of other controversial individuals behind these criminal POGO enterprises,” he added.
Call for revealing the identity
Following PAGCOR’s revelation, senators are urging the organization to disclose the identity of the former high-ranking government official involved.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero led the call, emphasizing the need to determine if the former official violated any laws.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who has issued many calls to totally ban POGOs, emphasized the necessity for PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco to attend the hearing in person to “disclose what he knows.”
“I hope the PAGCOR chief recognizes this as the appropriate forum to share his knowledge. I expect Chair Tengco himself to appear at the next hearing, rather than just sending his representatives,” she said.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian described Tengco’s latest revelation as “deeply alarming.” For Gatchalian, 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.
