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Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco said Wednesday former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was the ex-Cabinet member who lobbied for a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga.

In a Senate hearing, Tengco said Roque was the legal head of Lucky South 99.

He said Roque told a Pagcor official that Katherine Cassandra Li Ong of Lucky South 99 had problems regarding their Pagcor billing.

During their meeting, Ong asked Tengco to give them a chance to pay six months of arrears worth $500,000 which they had paid through a certain Dennis Cunanan, but the funds were not given to Pagcor.

Tengco said that Ong had trusted that Cunanan would use the money she gave him monthly to pay the Pagcor bills which is why she was surprised when they received a letter stating that Lucky South 99 had six months arrears.

He explained that Ong had asked Pagcor to give them a chance to pay the arrears, saying that someone was paying the agency a partial amount.

Ong also said she wanted to submit a re-application of their license before it expired in October 2023, Tengco added, citing that Pagcor had released new and stricter guidelines on POGOs in July.

Tengco said that Roque did not force Pagcor to give Lucky South 99 a license even after they submitted an application in September 2023.

“He was not pressuring us. He was pleading and our conversations were very light. He told me, I accompanied her (Ong) because she is the aggrieved party,” Tengco said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Roque denied being the lawyer of Lucky South 99.

"I vehemently deny media reports claiming that Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairman Alejandro Tengco allegedly said that I represented an illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO)," Roque said.

"As clearly stated by Pagcor Chairman Alejandro Tengco in today’s Senate hearing, I requested a rescheduling of arrears payment of a lessee and principal of my client Whirlwind Corporation. My client is a service provider to Lucky South, then a holder of a valid license from Pagcor," he said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS