November 25, 2024 | 12:16pm
MANILA, Philippines — Former human rights lawyer and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque may have left the country after being missing for more than a month.
Vice President Sara Duterte made this claim during her November 23 virtual press conference where she criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“Look at Sec. Harry Roque, ayaw umalis non sa bansa kasi yung mga anak niya maiiwanan. Pero look at him, umalis na lang (Look at Sec. Harry Roque, didn’t want to leave the country because his children would be left behind. But look at him now, he left anyway.),” Duterte said after a long pause.
“But no, hindi, bastos sila, bastos din kami (But no, they’re rude, so we’ll be rude too.),” she added.
Philstar.com has reached out to both the Bureau of Immigration regarding Roque’s status and to Roque himself for confirmation of Duterte’s statement. Both have yet to respond.
Why it matters. The House of Representatives Quad Committee issued an arrest order against Roque on September 12 due to his failure to appear before the House panel and provide documents related to his wealth accumulation.
This investigation is connected to a Porac-based Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in which Roque is allegedly implicated.
While Roque was placed under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin on August 6, such a bulletin only monitors an individual’s international travel movements and cannot prevent them from leaving the Philippines.
Additionally, Roque faces trafficking charges before the Department of Justice for his alleged involvement with Lucky South 99, a Porac-based POGO. He did not attend the preliminary investigation, citing the DOJ’s failure to issue a summons.
His wife, Mylah Roque, who was also summoned by the House Panel, departed the Philippines one month before the Bureau of Immigration issued a lookout bulletin against her.
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