MANILA, Philippines – Hindi na maitatanggi ng Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) ang posibilidad na sangkot talaga si dating presidential spokesperson Harry Roque sa illegal gambling operations sa Pampanga at Tarlac.
Unang lumutang ang kaugnayan ni Roque sa illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) ngayong taon nang madiskubre ang appointment papers ng kanyang aide bilang Executive Assistant III sa ilalim ng opisina ni Roque na may petsang Oktubre 5, 2021 sa raid sa Lucky South 99 compound sa Porac, Pampanga.
Nakuha rin sa raid ang endorsement letter na pirmado ni Roque na nagsasabing sasagutin niya ang gastos ng mga biyahe ng aide nito patungong Italy, Poland at Ukraine noong Oktubre 2023.
Posible ring pinuno ang dating Presidential spokesperson ng legal department ng Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc, isang sindikatong nagpapanggap na POGO.
“I would like to give deference to a former Cabinet official… We want to give him the benefit of the doubt,” pahayag ni PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio sa press conference.
“But we cannot discount his possible involvement in all of these matters. I do not believe in coincidences anymore in terms of Harry Roque,” dagdag niya.
“His footprint is everywhere.”
Sinalag naman ni Roque ang komento ng PAOCC sa pagsasabing siya ay naghihintay lamang sa paghahain ng mga kaso.
“No idea what their evidence is… Only acts I did are what I’ve said on the Senate and House hearings,” saad sa pahayag ni Roque.
“They were acts of lawyering which cannot be deemed as criminal as there were no criminal acts done,” dagdag niya.
“But as I’ve said, I’d like to see their complaint first as I am of the belief that they have absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing,” pagpapatuloy ni Roque.
Nauna nang itinanggi ni Roque na incorporator siya ng Lucky South 99 at sinabing inirepresenta lamang niya si Cassandra Ong sa inakala niyang isang estafa case.
Si Ong ang natukoy bilang consultant at authorized representative ng POGO hub. RNT/JGC
