A lawmaker denied that former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is subject to political persecution, as he has asserted in the past.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee, made it clear that Roque was not the target of the committee’s probe into Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), which he cited as the basis for his request for political asylum in the Netherlands.
In a report by RH 12 Milky Rigonan, Barbers said Roque’s involvement in POGO profits—amounting to millions of pesos—was merely caught in the scope of the investigation when it centered on POGO operations in the country.
“That’s his opinion, we’re not persecuting him. In the first place, he’s not a very important political figure. The only reason why he’s not attending the hearings is because he actually, in an open hearing, promised to submit documents to disprove the allegations against him,” Barbers said in a press conference on Tuesday, April 1.
Moreover, Roque was given the opportunity to explain the rapid surge in his wealth, but was a no-show at the Quad Committee hearings and failed to submit the promised documents proving that his gains were legitimately acquired, Barbers said.
The Quad Committee chair also clarified that once the 19th Congress dissolves in July, the arrest warrants filed against personalities such as Roque would be rendered null and void. However, Roque may still be investigated by government agencies, Barbers noted.
Roque previously filed a petition before the Supreme Court, which argues that the Quad Committee’s investigation is unconstitutional and that its requisition of documents was without legal basis.
In a virtual press conference, the spokesperson for former President Rodrigo Duterte repudiated his status as a fugitive, maintaining that a fugitive evades an arrest warrant issued by a court. His arrest warrant, on the other hand, is due to his absence from a Quad Committee session, which he points to as grounds for “unjust prosecution.”
