Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (MANILA BULLETIN)

Don't even think for one second that the House quad-committee (quad-comm) has forgotten about former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Roque, who recently grabbed headlines when it was found out that he had fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), still has "a lot of explaining to do", according to said quad-comm overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Roque, former mouthpiece of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, had been cited for contempt by the quad-comm along with his wife, Mylah for being uncooperative amid alleged links to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

After weeks of disregarding subpoenas and evading arrest orders issued by the special four-way panel, the couple appeared at the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 29 to notarize a counter-affidavit for a human trafficking case.

The quad-comm had uncovered evidence linking Roque to Lucky South 99, a controversial POGO based in Porac, Pampanga, reportedly tied to various illegal activities.

According to Barbers, Roque acted as the POGO’s legal counsel and participated in key meetings with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairman Alejandro Tengco and Cassandra Ong--a central figure in the operation.

“Si Atty. Harry Roque ang nagsilbing abogado ng Lucky South at iyan ay napatunayan sa kanyang pakikipag-pulong kay Pagcor Chairman Al Tengco,” said the Mindanao lawmaker said on Thursday, Dec. 12.

(Atty. Harry Roque served as the lawyer of Lucky South and that was proven through his meetings with Pagcor Chairman Al Tengco.)

Roque’s financial dealings have also raised suspicions. Barbers noted how the lawyer's declared assets surged from P125,000 in 2016 to P125 million by 2018, during the height of POGO operations under the Duterte administration. 

Despite multiple requests from the quad-comm, Roque failed to provide documents to explain this dramatic increase in wealth. Instead, he went into hiding, questioned the quad-comm’s jurisdiction on social media, and quietly left the country.

Thursday's hearing was the 13th and last for the year by the quad-comm. 

Lawmakers are now calling for an investigation into how the Roque couple managed to leave the country despite ongoing inquiries and legal actions against them.

Link to Benguet property 

Quad-comm co-chairman Santa Rosa City lone  Rep. Dan Fernandez added more fuel to the controversy, by revealing Roque’s links to Chinese fugitives operating from Pinewoods Village in Tuba, Benguet. 

Fernandez claims that Roque and his wife own Biancham Holdings and Trading Corporation, which controls 99 percent of Pinewood Holdings Inc.—the company that owns the Benguet property.

“Mismong ang chairman ng Pagcor ang nagpatunay na sinamahan ni Atty. Roque si Cassandra Ong sa isang meeting upang talakayin ang lisensya ng Pagcor at mga utang ng Lucky South 99,” he said.

(The Pagcor chairman himself attested that Atty. Roque accompanied Cassandra Ong in a meeting to discuss the Pagcor license and the liabilities of Lucky South 99.)

The Benguet property was rented by two Chinese fugitives, Sun Liming and Wang Keping, who were later arrested, adding another layer of intrigue to Roque’s alleged connections.

Roque denied any wrongdoing, and claimed that his involvement with Pagcor was part of his legal work. 

'No sacred cows'

Moving forward, Barbers vowed that the mega-panel would treat no one as "sacred cows" in its investigation on the issues of POGOs, extrajudicial killings (EJKs), money-laundering, illegal drugs, and the previous Duterte administration's war on drugs.

"There will be no sacred cows. We will leave no stone unturned in the search for truth, justice, and accountability,” he said.

Barbers, also chairman of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, underscored the inseparable link between the drug war and EJKs. 

“It was as if the war on drugs cannot be implemented without killing thousands of people,” he said, describing a chilling pattern of systemic violence and corruption exposed over the course of the 12 prior hearings.

Perhaps the most shocking allegation was former president Duterte's hand in a “reward system” for killing drug suspects during his anti-narcotics campaign. 

Rewards for kills ranged from P20,000 to a P1 million, as testified to by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma and later corroborated by former National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo.

Garma and Leonardo are two trusted people of Duterte’s during his presidency.

Barbers also called out efforts to discredit the Quad Comm’s work. “Maraming bayarang trolls at kritiko na wala namang naintindihan sa usapin o sadyang ayaw umintindi (There are a lot of paid trolls and critics who cannot or simply refuse to understand anything about the issue). But the truth will prevail.”

In closing, Barbers expressed gratitude to the public for their trust and support.