Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque has been appointed as the “legal head” of Pampanga-based Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) Lucky South 99, according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The company was raided twice last month on suspicion of human trafficking, torture and fraud.
PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco revealed that Roque visited his office in July 2023 to provide legal assistance to Cassandra Lee Ong, the authorized representative of Lucky South 99. Ong had sought PAGCOR's help to resolve the POGO park's financial problems, including requesting installments for outstanding taxes.
At a Senate Women and Gender Equality Committee hearing on Wednesday, Tenko presented an organizational chart from Lucky South 99's original license application, which listed Roque as "head of law."
Roque’s denial
In a video statement, Roque denied any attorney-client relationship with Lucky South 99. He claimed he facilitated the company's license re-application in 2023, before POGO was deemed illegal. Roque also said he did not authorize his name to be included in the organizational chart.
Meeting with PAGCOR
Tengco's revelations come a week after the PAGCOR chairman promised to release the name of a former cabinet official who helped illegal POGO centers issue licenses. Tengco recalled that Roque, accompanied by Ong, visited his office to discuss Lucky South 99’s unpaid taxes, which totaled at least US$500,000 (€461,000). Ong claimed that Dennis Cunanan, who was supposed to remit the tax to PAGCOR, failed to perform his duties and collected the money but failed to remit it for six consecutive months.
Tengco described the interaction with Roque as friendly and noted that Roque did not exert any undue pressure. Roque followed up on Lucky South 99’s license re-application several times, but was told that the application was rejected due to missing documents.
Roque later clarified that he accompanied Ong to engage with Whirlwind Corporation, which leases Lucky South 99, regarding its energy projects in Bataan and Cebu. He insisted he was unaware of Lucky South 99's illegal status.
Senate Investigation and Follow-up Actions
Senate committee chair Risa Hontiveros announced that Roque and former PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo would be invited to the next hearing. A raid on Lucky South 99 revealed a 2021 letter bearing Roque’s name and the letterhead of the Office of the President, but Roque has denied any connection to the document.
Roque's defense
Roque reiterated that he had no involvement in preparing Lucky South 99, which lists him as legal counsel. He did not admit the evidence presented by Hontiveros that he participated in the production of the document, insisting that no such evidence existed.
Roque explained that he believed Ong and Lucky South 99 were fraudsters and that he was the victim, and he accompanied Ong to PAGCOR to help solve the problem. Furthermore, he has always maintained that his involvement is limited to his role with Whirlwind Corporation and is not directly involved in Lucky South 99's affairs as a POGO.
