Disbarment of Harry Roque Sought; Roque Reportedly Hiding in Exclusive Subdivisions

A disbarment complaint has been officially lodged against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. This action arises from a recent Facebook post in which Roque allegedly connected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to a viral video featuring “polvoron.” The complaint was submitted by former acting Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag to the Supreme Court on September 24, 2024.

Matibag was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as acting Cabinet secretary in March 2022. The disbarment complaint was raised because of Roque’s social media posts on a viral “deepfake” video reportedly showing President Marcos snorting a white powdery substance.

Roque has dismissed the complaint as a “desperate act of attention.” He stated that the complaint should not have been made public. In defense of his social media activity, Roque argued, “We must understand that the posting of the video on social media is protected by free speech under the privileged doctrine. It involves a serious disease of a President that deserves an admission or denial. PBBM has not done either.” He emphasized the significance of the video, claiming it pertains to national security and affects millions of Filipinos.

In a statement, Roque expressed frustration over what he perceives as targeting by the House of Representatives Quad Committee. He was quoted as saying in a report published by the Inquirer, “In all of this, one thing is certain: the quad committee is pulverizing me because of the ‘polvoronic’ video. This is according to my former colleagues in the House of Representatives.”

Matibag, the complainant, has insisted that the viral video has been proven fake. He highlighted the need for accountability among lawyers, stating, “Atty. Harry Roque and I are friends, and there’s nothing to do about politics or personal. As I said earlier, I want to help the judicial system come out with a jurisprudence for us lawyers to be guided on how to behave on social media.”

Matibag believes that Roque should face a “maximum penalty” due to his position as a lawyer, explaining, “Mas mataas ang aming responsibility as an officer of the court, as a lawyer, kaysa ordinaryong gumagamit ng Facebook at social media (Our responsibility as officers of the court is higher than that of ordinary social media users).”

In related developments, authorities have been attempting to locate Roque, who was reportedly seen in an exclusive subdivision last September 20, but evaded capture. Police Major General Leo Francisco, director of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), admitted that accessing exclusive areas poses a challenge for law enforcement. “We missed him on Friday. Our personnel have difficulty entering exclusive subdivisions without proper justification,” he stated.

Francisco noted that even a one-minute delay can significantly impact operations, allowing Roque to leave before officers arrive. The PNP-CIDG is currently coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to determine whether Roque is still in the country. “Nagrequest na kami sa BID ng travel record kung niya kung siya ay nakalabas or hindi. Yun lang hinihintay natin (We’ve requested his travel records to check if he has left),” added Francisco.

Read related article: CIDG locates a lead in the pursuit of Harry Roque