House taps PNP to capture Harry Roque

Roque was cited in contempt and ordered detained at the HOR building for refusing to submit subpoenaed documents related to his alleged involvement with illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). (File Photo: House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook)

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The House of Representatives (HOR) has tapped the Philippine National Police (PNP) in arresting former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque who has been considered a fugitive after being cited in contempt by the HOR.

“All law enforcers who have received a copy of the contempt order, they can arrest Atty. Harry Roque if they see him. The PNP has been directed to assist the House Sergeant at Arms in finding Roque, ” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday.

She said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has proceeded to Roque’s two known addresses in Metro Manila but he was not there.

Roque was cited in contempt and ordered detained at the HOR building for refusing to submit subpoenaed documents related to his alleged involvement with illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

The subpoenaed documents include his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth and records connected to his family firm, Biancham Holdings, as well as a land transaction in Parañaque City.

Despite multiple summonses, Roque ignored the joint panel and refused to cooperate, leading authorities to serve the arrest order at his Makati office, where he was not found, raising concerns of deliberate evasion.

Earlier, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairperson of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said Roque should stand by his promise to submit the documents requested of him by the panel, instead of dishing out his frustrations against the panel via various social media platforms.

Barbers also dared Roque to show up at the quad comm hearings and justify his refusal to submit the documents being asked by the panel.

Roque was implicated in the POGO controversy for accompanying and helping Cassandra Li Ong, an official of Whirlwind and Lucky South 99 gaming firm, to pay off arrears totaling USD500,000.

He has admitted, on record, to being a lawyer for Whirlwind, the company that is leasing its Porac compound to Lucky South 99.

Roque, former spokesperson of then president Rodrigo Duterte, in a social media post, labeled the quad comm as a kangaroo court, just wasting government money on hearings “that did not prove anything”.