MANILA, Philippines – Dumipensa si dating Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque sa pagkakadawit ng kanyang pangalan sa ni-raid na POGO hub sa Porac, Pampanga kamakailan.
Nitong Miyerkoles kasi, sa pagpapatuloy ng imbestigasyon ng Senado ukol sa illegal na POGO hubs sa bansa, sinabi ni Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairman at CEO Alejandro Tengco si Roque na tumulong sa Lucky South 99 na mag-reapply ng kanilang linsensya.
Sa inilabas naman na pahayag ni Roque itinanggi niya na hindi siya at hindi kailanman naging legal counsel ng alinmang ilegal na POGO, at hindi rin siya counsel ng Lucky South 99.
Sinamahan daw niya si Ong sa meeting “kasi akala ko si Lucky South— ang principal ng Whirlwind—ay biktima ng estafa. By way of accommodation, I joined Ms. Ong since I was then persuading Whirlwind to invest in two energy projects kung saan ako ang pangunahing tagapagtaguyod.”
Dagdag pa niya, si Ong ay Corporate Secretary ng Whirlwind.
“After we were formally retained to represent the company in an ejectment case in September 2023, Ms. Ong signed the pleadings in that case in this capacity. The case remains pending in the Court of Appeals and the Municipal Trial Court of Porac,” dagdag pa niya.
Giit pa niya na ang Whirlwind “recently retained my firm to quash a search warrant in a residential dwelling in Porac mistakenly described as a “resort” by police authorities.”
“As a lawyer, I could not directly engage with the POGO because of a potential conflict of interest and given the soured lease contract between Whirlwind and Lucky South,” dagdag pa ni Roque. RNT
