MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives has detained the corporate secretary of Lucky South 99, after her answers failed to satisfy lawmakers who were looking into her ties with the raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) facility in Porac, Pampanga.
Ronelyn Baterna will be under the custody of the lower chamber for the next 30 days, after the committee on games and amusement and the committee on public order and safety jointly cited her in contempt on Wednesday, August 7.
Baterna insisted that she was just a mere employee — a receptionist in 2019 — who was asked by an HR officer from the company to be the corporate secretary in 2022. She said she viewed it as a promotion, with a pay bump from P17,000 to P23,000 per month.
“The explanation to me is that I would just sign papers,” she said.
“It doesn’t make sense that you would sign documents from the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation). You would think: what am I signing?” Santa Rosa, Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez told her. “I think you are educated to know that what you are signing is so important that what you are trying to manifest in this committee is unbelievable.”
Baterna also said she contacted a lawyer to represent her, but admitted later in the six-hour hearing that a lawyer representing the company reached out to her.
She also said she did not know the owners of Lucky South 99.
“The resource persons are making us look stupid. If that is really the lawyer [you hired], then how much did you pay her? Do you have the capacity to pay her professional fee?” Bulacan 2nd District Representative Augustina Pancho said.
Baterna will be confined in the House’s new custodial center in Quezon City.
Wednesday’s session is the second time the two committees convened to probe criminal activities related to POGOs.
The inquiry will be continued by the newly formed mega panel called the “quad comm,” which will investigate the links between POGOs, drug trafficking, Chinese syndicates, and state-sanctioned killings.
The “quad comm” will hold its first session on August 15. – Rappler.com
(Quotes in Filipino were translated into English, and some were shortened for brevity.)
