Surigao del Norte Representative Ace Barbers, the lead chair of four House joint committees probing alleged crimes involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), stood pat Saturday that the subpoena for the financial documents of former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was grounded on public interest.
Speaking at a news forum in Quezon City, Barbers responded to the assertion of Roque that providing the financial documents to the House quad committee overstepped on the former official’s right to privacy.
The Supreme Court has ruled before, Barbers said, that “the right of the public to access information takes precedence or in the hierarchy of rights.”
“(The) right to public information that affects the national interest must prevail over right to privacy in an inquiry in aid of legislation,” he said.
The lawmaker said the House quad committee only wants Roque to answer the questions from its members.
Barbers was asked to comment on Roque’s Facebook post, which described the quad committee as a “kangaroo court” that was violating his privacy rights.
“Hindi lamang nilalabag ng QuadCom hearing ang aking right to privacy, sinisira rin nito ang aking pamilya,” the former presidential spokesman said.
(The QuadCom not only violates my right to privacy, it is also destroying my family.)
However, Barbers said, “Saang punto kami nang wasak ng pamilya? Wala naman sigurong katotohanan ‘yon. Alam mo siyempre, sagrado ang pamilya at ‘yan ang gusto natin panatilihin dito sa ating mundong ito.”
(At what point did we destroy a family? There is no truth to it. You know, the family is sacred and that is something we want to be enduring in this world.)
The House joint panels cited Roque in contempt over his repeated refusal to submit documents on the increased value of his assets.
Roque has maintained that he would not submit his “family’s private documents,” saying these were not related to POGOs and that the issue was a “witch hunt.”
The list of documents that the QuadCom wants Roque to submit include:
- Roque’s statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2016-2022
- his wife Myla Roque’s Income Tax Returns from 2014-2022
- their respective medical certificates
- extrajudicial settlement of the estate, including tax returns, of Roque’s late aunt
- deed of sale with tax returns and transfer of property of the 1.8-hectare property in Multinational Village, Parañaque that Roque’s family sold to a private entity which Roque said was the reason of his increased wealth
- transfer of shareholdings to lawyer Percival Ortega with trust agreement and related documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- income tax returns of Biancham Inc.
- statement of Biancham’s beneficial owner filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Roque’s camp, meanwhile, has refused to receive the arrest warrant served by authorities against him on Friday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said.
Roque has been denying his involvement in illegal POGO operations.
However, he admitted to providing legal counsel to Whirlwind Corporation, the owner of the land where the raided POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga was located, an incident that uncovered apparent criminal activities such as torture and scam hubs. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
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