Harry Roque signed his counter-affidavit in Abu Dhabi on Nov 29, 2024. He refutes human trafficking charges filed against him while denying his links to POGOs.
Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque is in Abu Dhabi, based on the counter-affidavit he filed on the case linking him to the now-illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry.
In a 22-page response, Roque dismissed the charges as politically motivated, claiming a lack of evidence against him. Prosecutor-General Richard Anthony Fadullon confirmed that Roque signed his counter-affidavit in Abu Dhabi on November 29, 2024.
“It would appear that he had a document which was notarized pero dun siya sa (but he is in) Abu Dhabi. So, the panel opted to give the respondent a chance to call for a clarificatory hearing which would be scheduled anytime between now and the 16th of December. The purpose is to clarify certain issues and find out really where Mr. Harry Roque is at this point in time,” Fadullon said, as reported by the PNA.
Roque has been barred from leaving the Philippines due to an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order and is facing an arrest warrant issued by the House of Representatives for contempt amid a probe linking him to the operations of Lucky South 99 in Porac, Pampanga. This stems from his failure to provide financial documents to explain a sudden increase in his wealth.
On October 28, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) pressed human trafficking charges against Roque and two others. They are accused of involvement in the operations of Lucky South 99 Corporation, a POGO hub that was raided in Porac, Pampanga.
In a supplemental complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Roque, Mercides Macabasa, and Ley Tan were added to the list of suspects originally named in September, including Cassandra Ong and 53 others. The charges cite violations of Republic Act (RA) 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended by RA 10364 and further amended by RA 11862.
Roque claimed that there was no proof linking him to any trafficking activities, such as recruiting, transporting, harboring, or profiting from individuals involved in human trafficking, nor was there any evidence of conspiracy.
Roque tried to dismiss the complaint, claiming that his involvement was “mere afterthought.”
“My inclusion, as well as the inclusion of Whirlwind Corporation and Lucky South 99 Outsourcing, Inc. were mere afterthoughts. The inclusion of the two corporations was intended to cure the deficiency of the evidence presented both in the original complaint and the supplemental complaint affidavit that utterly failed to identify any overt act of trafficking or qualified human trafficking that will implicate me,” Roque wrote in his 22-page counter-affidavit.
The former government official further argued that there was nothing unlawful about him joining Ong for a meeting with executives of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“(T)hat meeting on 26 July 2023 was for a legitimate purpose, i.e., to discuss the arrears of Lucky South 99, and how PAGCOR was intending to deny the pending application of the said corporation for the renewal of its Internet Gaming License should the arrears be not settled,” read his counter-affidavit.
Despite an initial report suggesting he was out of the country, the National Bureau of Investigation has contradicted this claim.
Vice President Sara Duterte, during her November 23 online press conference, insinuated that Roque might have already left the country.
Read related article: DOJ Says Roque Counter-affidavit Could Indicate Whereabouts
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