The gambling watchdog (PAGCOR) for the Philippines is under fire, as its CEO, Alejandro Tengco, has been accused of a conflict of interest. It comes as Tengco’s family’s construction firm managed to acquire government contracts. The PAGCOR chief has refuted these claims, claiming that he has no direct influence on what the wider government does.
Often quite strict on upholding the law, it’s no wonder that the PAGCOR chief has issued a press release on the matter. The company involved, Nationstar Development Corporation, was founded by the chairman in 2015. It’s believed that his relationship with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., might have had some influence on the decision.
However, the PAGCOR head detailed multiple builds that had been completed since 2015, including a high school and “modular hospitals” deployed during the pandemic. Tengco’s children now run Nationstar, and 14 of the government contracts it has managed to secure have generated P7.1 billion ($120,221,815) since 2022.
The palace has now commented on the matter, with the Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro speaking to reporters: “If this went through the proper process and if this company is still connected to Al Tengco, then we’ll just base our assessment on that.
“It would probably be better if, when someone makes an accusation, they present evidence for review.”
PAGCOR chief in hot water over exposé
The accusations stem from news outlet Rappler, which points out that since Marcos Jr. took over from the Duterte administration, contracts have “more than tripled”. Speaking with Rappler, former finance undersecretary and budget expert Cielo Magno said:
“He is not absolved because a head of a GOCC is a public official. Section 3(b) of Republic Act 3019 prohibits public officials from having a financial or pecuniary interest in any business that deals with the government.”
The PAGCOR head said: “As a legitimate business entity, Nationstar has previous and ongoing contracts with both the government and the private sector, including many local government units.
“These projects have established our goodwill or reputation in the industry and thus, the subsequent projects awarded to us.”
Featured image: PAGCOR, Pexels
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