Manhunt Launched for Harry Roque; Quad-Comm Head Claims Roque “Benefited From Lucky South 99”

September 16, 2024 Philippines iGaming & Gambling

The assets of Biancham Corporation, which is owned by Harry Roque, rose from PHP125,000 before 2016 to PHP125 million in 2018.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its manhunt for former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. The House of Representatives has cited Roque for contempt due to his failure to submit subpoenaed documents related to his alleged connections with illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

Roque, who previously served as spokesperson for former President Rodrigo Duterte, has ignored past summons from a joint House panel investigating the involvement of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in various crimes. His non-compliance led to an arrest warrant being issued. Roque was not found at his Makati office, raising concerns that he might be evading capture.

“The PNP is now fully engaged in the manhunt for Atty. Harry Roque,” Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, co-chair of the Quad Committee, was quoted as saying in a report published by the Inquirer. “We are working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure his swift apprehension. No one is above the law.”

Roque is accused of withholding critical documents, including his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, and records related to his family business, Biancham Holdings. These documents are crucial for understanding his alleged involvement with Lucky South 99, a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, which is under investigation for illegal operations.

Authorities have dispatched police units to Roque’s last known location at the Antel Corporation Centre in Makati, but his whereabouts remain unclear. The PNP, in collaboration with other law enforcement groups, continues to search for Roque, who is suspected of hiding as the investigation advances.

House of Representatives quad committee panel member Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro disclosed that the panel discovered the sudden increase of Roque’s assets: from PHP125,000 before 2016 to PHP125 million in 2018.

“As we investigate Biancham, we found out the sudden increase of his assets in 2018, coming from P125,000 before 2016 — in 2018 the current assets of Biancham rose to P125 million,” said Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro.

“There is a question on the source of the money of Biancham Corporation, which belongs to Atty. Harry Roque. If he [Roque] will not be able to prove the legal and valid source of this sudden increase of assets of his family-owned Biancham, then there is reasonable ground to believe that indeed he is connected with POGO operations, and this money possibly came from POGO operations,” said Luistro.

Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, head of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, stressed the seriousness of Roque’s defiance. “His evasion deepens the doubts surrounding his involvement,” Barbers said, adding that the evidence against Roque is “overwhelming.”

Roque has previously dismissed the joint panel’s investigation as a “kangaroo court” and has declared his refusal to participate in the POGO probe. However, Barbers and Fernandez have emphasized that Roque must address the charges through legal channels.

The Quad Committee, which includes the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Accounts, Human Rights, and Public Order and Safety, has criticized former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. for calling the panel a “kangaroo court.”

Barbers addressed the issue by stating: “He was slandering the Quad Comm in social media, and we will not take it sitting down.”

He highlighted that Roque had initially volunteered to submit the documents but later invoked his right not to provide them. He also noted circumstantial evidence suggesting Roque’s connections to Lucky South 99, an illegal POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga that authorities say were engaged in human trafficking, torture and scams.

“During this period, we saw that his net worth increased; therefore, the bigger net worth must be explained since he was a government official during that time…. We think he benefited from Lucky South 99; that’s why his net worth increased,” Barbers said.

The House of Representatives has pledged to continue the search for Roque and is urging the public to provide any information that could help authorities locate him.