On August 8, local time, the House of Representatives' investigation into the criminal activities of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) entered its fourth day, with a six-hour hearing focusing on several officials suspected of involvement in online gambling companies and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
Here are the key points from Wednesday's hearing:
An online gambling company official was detained
During the hearing, Ronelyn Baterna was accused of lying under oath, leading to her detention for 30 days. Baterna, the secretary of the raided Lucky South 99 company in Pampanga province, angered legislators with her testimony, which they believed was an attempt to conceal her role in the company.
Baterna initially claimed that the lawyer accompanying her to the hearing was a personal contact, but the lawyer later stated she was contacted in her capacity as secretary of Lucky South 99. Legislators believed Baterna was trying to minimize her role in the company.
Baterna stated she did not know the owners of the company, claiming she was merely an employee promoted to company secretary by the HR department, responsible only for signing documents. She claimed to be unaware of the contents of the documents she signed.
Representative Augustina Pancho of the second district of Bulacan criticized, saying: "The resource persons make us look foolish."
Other suspected company founders face threats of contempt of court
Meanwhile, other officials from Lucky South 99 claimed their identities were stolen.
Other officials of Lucky South 99—Julian Linsangan, Edwin Ang, and Marion Ryan Chua—faced threats of contempt of court during the hearing. They insisted they only worked for companies selling fireworks or electronics and were never involved in online gambling.
Linsangan stated they were victims of identity theft, claiming the incident began in 2023 when he and two friends met Dan dela Cruz, who offered them an investment opportunity, leading them to invest in an online gaming business.
Chua said they were interested in the proposal, submitted documents, but later lost contact with the man who offered the opportunity.
The three denied knowing Baterna and claimed that their signatures linking them to Lucky South 99 were forged.
However, Winston Casio, spokesperson for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Committee, expressed disbelief in their statements, emphasizing that the president would not withdraw the charges against them.
The former presidential spokesperson continues to be questioned about his relationship with the online gambling company
At Roque's second House of Representatives hearing, Alonto Adiong, representative of the first district of Lanao del Sur, accused him again.
In 2023, Roque served as a lawyer for the real estate company Whirlwind, handling an eviction case related to Lucky South 99, as it rented land to a POGO company. Roque was also hired by Cassy Li Ong, a representative of Lucky South 99, as a lawyer for Whirlwind.
Although Roque insisted he never provided legal services for Lucky South 99, Alejandro Tengco, head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, stated that the discussions did not involve Whirlwind.
Roque argued that he attended the meeting to ensure Ong was received, who had only been a representative of the company in the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation for a month.
Adiong questioned whether Roque's actions exceeded his responsibilities, noting that although Roque was not the official lawyer for Lucky South 99, his involvement in the meeting and subsequent actions raised concerns.
