On Tuesday, during the Senate's ongoing investigation into illegal online gambling companies, Senator Risa Hontiveros questioned Zhao Shougui about the alleged attempt to bribe PAOCC officials, which she said was captured on camera.
Zhao denied the act through a translator in Chinese.
"This money was not actually a bribe. What I wanted was, remember I arrived after they were caught, when I got there, my 70-year-old wife was there, she was very weak, and my granddaughter was also there. What I wanted to do, because my wife was weak, was to make individual arrangements for my wife and granddaughter," Zhao said.
According to Mr. Zhao, the total amount of money, 1 million pesos, was given by his son.
Hontiveros was not convinced that it was not a bribe.
"Nevertheless, this is what we call a bribe, offering money to Philippine government officials in exchange for special care, while they are fully capable of treating the elderly or minors with humanity," she said.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio also expressed the same opinion.
He said: "There is no other explanation, as they tried three times."
When asked if he had ever tried to bribe other government officials before, Zhao Lijian said he had never bribed in the past.
He said he only sponsored some of their events, donating computers or food.
Mr. Zhao also told the committee that he "did not know" there was a POGO company in the compound in Lapu-Lapu City.
He said he only rented out three rooms, totaling 290 square meters, for a rent of 1.5 million pesos.
Earlier this month, PAOCC raided a gated compound in Lapu-Lapu City, where about 150 foreigners were found, most of whom had been in the raided POGO center in Pampanga's Clark.
