PRESIDENTIAL Special Envoy to China Benny Techico denied on Monday, August 26, 2024, the accusations linking President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo).
In a press conference, Techico, the current special envoy of the President to the People’s Republic of China for Trade, Tourism, and Investment, said the photo of Cassandra Ong, the authorized representative of the raided illegal Pogo in Porac Pampanga, along with the Marcoses and several others, including him, was taken in a restaurant sometime in November 2020.
He said they were having dinner when the restaurant owner requested a photograph with the Marcos couple, together with other people, which the now-President granted.
“After dinner, may pinakilala yung restaurant owner at hindi rin naman namin alam kung sino. Pumasok siya at may mga kasamang Chinese at humingi ng litrato sa ating Presidente (around) 2020. Ang ating Presidente naman ay pinayagan naman po, the typical na nagpapapicture. Ganon lang kasimple. After that lumabas na po (sila),” said Techico.
(After dinner, the restaurant owner introduced someone and we didn't even know who it was. He entered with Chinese companions and asked for a photo of our President (around) 2020. Our President allowed it, the typical one who poses for a photo. It's that simple. After that they (they) went out.)
Techico said he only found out that Ong was one of those who had their picture taken with the Marcos couple when the photo was made public by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio in a press conference.
Topacio serves as the legal counsel of Ong, who was deported to the Philippines from Indonesia together with Sheila Guo, the sister of controversial dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
Ong was turned over to the House of Representatives, which issued an arrest order against her amid its ongoing investigation on the raided illegal Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga.
“This picture may hold the clue as to why Pogo operations, especially illegal Pogo multiplied during the time of Marcos, because they were being aided and abetted by some officials of the present administration,” said Topacio.
Techico added he was not able to talk to the President regarding the photograph and he stood up on his own will to defend him over unfair and foul accusations linking him to Ong and Pogo.
“Because our group feels that it’s so unfair to the President that he keeps on working hard and yet stories maligning him keep cropping up,” he said. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)