Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has been detained once again at the House of Representatives after refusing to submit subpoenaed documents during a joint panel hearing on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO).
On Thursday, September 12, lawmakers at the House quad-committee hearing unanimously agreed to cite Roque in contempt for his failure to provide the requested documents, including his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN). Bukidnon 2nd District Representative Keith Flores made the motion for contempt, reminding the committee of Roque’s earlier commitment to submit the necessary documents. The motion passed without objection.
As a result, Roque will be held in detention at the House premises until he complies by providing the documents or until the lawmakers complete their investigation.
1-Rider party-list Representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez also moved to issue a subpoena against Roque for his failure to properly respond to a show-cause order issued during the committee’s last hearing. The committee approved this motion as well.
The show-cause order was initially issued due to Roque’s consecutive absences from the hearings. Gutierrez pointed out that Roque’s response to the order was insufficient and argued that a subpoena was necessary.
“He has responded, through the motion, it was omnibus. There’s a second part on the show-cause order. It would appear that it’s an unsubstantiated answer, and I believe as a matter of course, we should issue a subpoena,” Gutierrez said during the hearing.
In response, Roque described the committee proceedings as a “political inquisition” targeting him due to his close ties to the Duterte family. He claimed that the documents being requested have no connection to offshore gaming activities and accused lawmakers of continuing their “political harassment” despite a POGO hub official’s denial that Roque is their lawyer.
“This is a fishing expedition. Since they cannot find strong evidence connecting me to illegal POGOs, they tried to fish for evidence that will match their stories. And even if I submit the documents they ask, they will still look for ways to put me in a bad light,” Roque said in a statement.
Roque further criticized the committee, saying, “In the eyes of QuadCom, I am guilty until proven innocent. QuadCom already has a narrative in mind. QuadCom will not listen to my side of the story.” He also stated that he would continue to skip the deliberations until the matter is brought before the Supreme Court.
Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante voiced his concern over Roque’s actions, calling him “double-faced.” Abante noted that Roque had previously acknowledged the House’s authority to hold him in contempt but later publicly questioned the ruling and accused the lawmakers of abusing their power.
This is not the first time Roque has faced detention in the House. In August, he was held for a day after allegedly lying about the reason for his absence from a hearing.
