PAOCC: Harry Roque’s Name Appears Frequently in POGO Probe

August 28, 2024 Philippines Crime & Legal

“Bureaucrats, tenured officers, and former government officials” are being investigated for possible links to POGO-related crimes.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) has revealed that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s name frequently appears in documents and testimonies related to the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) scandal.

PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio made the statement during the Saturday News Forum on August 24, 2024, suggesting that Roque’s involvement in the ongoing investigation cannot be dismissed.

Casio was quoted as saying in a Rappler report: “I would like to give reference to a former Cabinet official. So, Atty. Roque is a former Cabinet official. So, given the benefit of the doubt in relation to what he is saying, but then again now that his name keeps on cropping up in the documents, in the digital footprint, in the testimonial footprint.”

“We cannot discount his possible involvement in all of these matters,” Casio added. “I don’t believe in coincidence anymore as far as Harry Roque is concerned…. His footprint is everywhere. But of course you have to put one plus equals two to create a case, complete a case.”

He emphasized that the PAOCC is examining all individuals mentioned in the investigation into illegal POGO activities, which have been banned following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive in July.

While Casio did not confirm if Roque is the highest-ranking official under investigation, he noted that other names, including “bureaucrats, tenured officers, and former government officials,” are also involved.

The PAOCC spokesperson said their agency is focusing on evidence and is not driven by political motivations. “We are not politically motivated. We are based on evidence. So, defer to their wisdom, in the time that they need to read through the evidence submitted by both parties and once they are finished going through the evidence, then I am confident that they would see the argument our way,” declared Casio.

In response to these claims, Roque criticized the PAOCC’s approach. He urged the commission to present their evidence to the prosecutor’s office instead of engaging in media interviews. Roque insisted that the allegations against him lack merit and said in a previous interview, “I look forward to the day that I will face my accusers in the proper court.”