A heated exchange ensued between Senator Risa Hontiveros and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque which began when the latter accused the senator of "insinuating" that he is a lawyer of Lucky South 99, the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) compound in Porac, Pampanga.

During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Women and Children on POGO-related crimes, Hontiveros asked Roque if he would maintain his stand that he was never a lawyer for Lucky South 99 or any other POGO company.

Hontiveros clarified however, that she has not been insinuating anything, and that she and the Senate panel members were just asking questions based on the sworn testimonies of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alejandro Tengco and other resource persons.

"The resource person will not impute any insinuation to the chair," she said.

Roque retorted that he had never acted as legal counsel of Lucky South 99 or for any other POGO company.

The topic later shifted to Roque's meeting with Tengco, when he accompanied Katherine Cassandra Ong, Lucky South 99’s authorized representative, for the POGO's arrears with the agency totaling $500,000, and Roque's inclusion in the organizational chart ng Lucky South 99 as its legal counsel.

Hontiveros mentioned that since Roque was present during the meeting, due diligence would dictate that as a lawyer, he should have knowledge about the official documents that Lucky South 99 submitted, and asked Roque if he confronted Ong regarding it.

In response to this, Roque said that Hontiveros "again insinuated" that he had anything to do with the documents, and stated that he only found out about his inclusion during a previous hearing. He would further state that he was familiar with Senate rules in proving facts.

But Hontiveros called him out, and told him to stop using the word "insinuating", and that he need not tell the Senate panel what the rules are.

Roque proceeded to say that the documents were merely evidence of existence, and to prove its truthfulness, there must be a witness to prove its authenticity.

As Hontiveros was about to cut him off, Roque insisted that he was an invited resource person, and that he was merely asked to answer.

"Di ko po maintindihan, 'pag gusto niyo ko tumigil papatigilin niyo 'ko pag ako nag-eexplain (I don't get it when you want me to stop, you'd stop me while explaining). I thought we were engaged in the search for the truth," Roque said.

"Oh, definitely we are," Hontiveros replied.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian then reminded Roque to respect the Senate panel's chairperson to which he replied that he's "very respectful".

"Paanong respectful eh nagsasalita siya sinasabayan mo siya (How are you respectful when she's talking and you're interrupting her)?" he said.

Gatchalian then warned him that he would be cited in contempt should he continue to disrespect Hontiveros. Roque apologized afterwards.