Philippines senator calls for charges over POGOs auditor

Senator Gatchalian has urged PAGCOR to file charges against the officials who hired Global ComRCI as a third-party auditor.

The Philippines.- Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian has called on the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) to hold officials accountable for commissioning an unqualified third-party to audit Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). 

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate ways and means committee, revealed in a panel investigation that Global ComRCI, submitted a false bank guarantee from a financial institution that was unauthorised by the Philippine central bank. He said the government officials responsible should be charged to ensure accountability and help prevent future irregularities in government contracts.

On March 9, PAGCOR decided to terminate its consultancy contract with Global ComRCI citing “unlawful acts”. It said it had issued the notice to terminate the contract after “careful investigation” and would explore all legal remedies to recoup its partial payment to Global ComRCI, which is worth over PHP800m (US$16.5m). It is also looking to file administrative, civil and criminal charges.

A week ago, Gatchalian recommended the shutdown of POGOs within three months.

See also: Survey shows 58% of Filipinos believe POGOs are harmful