Former palace spokesman threatens to sue for libel

EX-PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s former spokesman has threatened to sue several local newspapers for cyberlibel, accusing them of misreporting the gaming regulator’s testimony at a Senate hearing the day earlier.

In a Facebook post, former palace spokesman Herminio “Harry” L. Roque belied news reports that Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco had testified that he “lobbied for illegal POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations).”

“This is a complete fabrication and a serious misrepresentation of the facts.”

Mr. Tengco on Wednesday told senators Mr. Roque lawyered for Lucky South 99, a POGO that authorities have linked to human trafficking, last year.

They later met to discuss the POGO’s unpaid taxes worth $500,000 (P29 million) in July last year, among other things.

Mr. Tengco said Mr. Roque was “not demanding,” adding that he did not feel pressured to do anything. “As a lawyer, he was probably just accompanying his client.”

“He confirmed that my interaction with Pagcor was solely to schedule a payment for Lucky South 99, which held a valid license from Pagcor at that time,” Mr. Roque said in his social media post.

The ex-Duterte spokesman on Wednesday denied lawyering for the Lucky South, whose hub was raided by law enforcers last month.

“I requested a rescheduling of arrears payment of a lessee and principal of my client Whirlwind Corp., a service provider to Lucky South, then a holder of a valid license from Pagcor,” he said in a Facebook video.

“I did not consent to nor was I informed of my name’s inclusion in any submission by Lucky South with Pagcor concerning license renewal,” he added.

He said he had met with Pagcor officials because he thought Lucky South 99 had fallen victim to estafa.

“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,” Mr. Roque said.

At the Senate hearing, Mr. Tengco showed the organizational chart of the offshore gambling firm, which listed Mr. Roque as being part of “legal.”

Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros, who heads the committee on women and children, invited Mr. Roque to the next hearing.

Meanwhile, Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva urged his colleagues to prioritize a measure that seeks to ban all forms of online gambling operations in the country, including POGOs, which have been linked to crimes.

In a statement, he said state revenues from online gambling and offshore gaming are not worth pursuing if crimes persist.

He also urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s economic managers to discuss proposals to ban POGOs.

“From the very start until now, we believe that these do not bring any benefits,” Mr. Villanueva said in Filipino. “We owe it to our countrymen to prioritize their safety and welfare from any danger.”

In 2022, Mr. Villanueva filed Senate Bill No. 1281, which seeks to outlaw all forms of online gambling. The measure has yet to be tackled by a Senate committee.

Under the measure, people who gamble on the internet face six months of jail time and a fine of as much as P500,000. It will also repeal all laws, executive orders and other rules authorizing online gambling.

“The consequences of gambling and online gambling are too severe to be ignored,” Mr. Villanueva said in the bill’s explanatory note. “The cost of gambling is no longer limited to the loss of money, but extends to the loss of values and lives.”

Congress under former President Rodrigo R. Duterte passed a law taxing POGOs to legalize them, despite concerns about their social costs. Chinese President Xi Jinping had asked him to ban their operations.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto on Monday said he would consider recommending the ban of these gambling operations, mostly Chinese firms that operate online casinos, to Mr. Marcos.

Philippine authorities have raided POGOs allegedly linked to crimes including human trafficking.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. earlier said the government could lose P20 billion in yearly revenues if POGOs are banned. — John Victor D. Ordoñez and NPA