The intelligence department is investigating reports that the former chief of the Philippine National Police was suspected of accepting bribes from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), an official from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said on Tuesday (September 17).
Raul Villanueva, the Senior Vice President of PAGCOR, revealed this information during a Senate hearing on illegal POGOs, when Senate Minority Deputy Leader Leila de Lima inquired about allegations that a senior immigration official accepted a 200 million peso bribe to help Alice Guo flee the country.
"There are some discussions within the intelligence department, but there is no confirmation or witnesses to prove if someone was actually bribed, but such discussions are indeed happening. It is still under verification," Villanueva said.
"What I want to mention is, a former PNP chief. I don't know who it is. I think they are currently verifying this situation. I even went to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) last week, but there was no relevant information," he said.
Before joining PAGCOR, Villanueva served in the Philippine military from 1990 to 2013. He served in the military intelligence department of the Philippine Army from 2015 to 2017.
De Lima said: "It was bad enough that someone was accused of spending a hundred million pesos in bribes to let a Guo Huaping escape. It would be even worse if there was a monthly salary in history."
Meanwhile, Senator Ronald dela Rosa expressed concern about this information, as he was a former PNP chief.
"Maybe later there will be a script saying 'Bato' took money from you," dela Rosa told Guo.
"There is no such thing. I am sure," Guo responded, ensuring she had never met dela Rosa before the Senate hearing.
NICA and the National Bureau of Investigation declined to comment on the information provided by Villanueva to the panel.
