RPPe Roque cited for contempt, faces 24-hour detention for lying to House ‘quad comm’

THE House of Representatives quad-committee (Quad Comm) on Thursday unanimously cited former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for contempt for lying about why he missed the August 16 hearing of the joint panel in Bacolor, Pampanga.

As a result, the joint panel — comprising the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts —ordered Roque’s detention at the House of Representatives for 24 hours, in accordance with its rules.

Roque had informed Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the designated overall chair of the quad-committee, in a letter that he could not attend the August 16 hearing due to a scheduled appearance at the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC).

However, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo presented a certification from the RTC’s Clerk of Court, which confirmed that Roque had no scheduled hearings on that date. The certification indicated that Roque’s court appearance was actually held on August 15, contradicting his excuse.

This prompted Salo to move that Roque be cited in contempt for lying to the committee, an act that amounts to disrespecting its members and is “contemptible” under Section 11(E) of the House Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.

“I therefore move, Mr. Chair, that Atty. Harry Roque be cited in contempt for disrespecting the members of this committee when he lied in order to evade attending the hearing of this committee where he was invited,” Salo said.

The quad-committee did not immediately rule on the motion, opting first to hear comments from its members.

This also gave Roque, a central figure in the controversy involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) under investigation by the committee, an opportunity to defend himself, claiming that his actions were an "honest mistake."

Roque explained that he assumed the hearing would be on a Thursday, as had been the case with previous sessions, and that he had mistakenly associated the hearing with his scheduled court appearance on August 15. 

“I had no intention of disrespecting the committee. It was an honest mistake, and I apologize,” he said.

Despite Roque's explanation and apology, committee members were not convinced.

Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, vice chair of all four committees, questioned Roque's actions and emphasized that he must face the consequences of his mistake.

“When you make a mistake, you should be ready to accept the consequences,” Acop told Roque.

Roque acknowledged the error and expressed his willingness to accept the committee’s decision, though he maintained that his mistake was unintentional.

Ultimately, Barbers approved Salo’s motion after hearing no objection from the committee members and cited Roque for contempt under Section 11(E) of the House Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation.

Salo moved Roque's penalty to "the barest minimum — just one day or 24 hours," citing several factors, including their longstanding relationship, as well as Roque's apology and claim of an honest mistake.

The motion was approved by Barbers after it was duly seconded.

In his Aug. 13, 2024 letter to Barbers, Roque claimed that he could not attend the April 16 hearing due to a “previously scheduled court hearing” before RTC on the same day. 

Roque further stated that based on previous experience, such hearings “last the entire day.”

But according to the certification issued by Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Sheriff Jennifer Hadela Cruz-Buendia, Roque did not appear before any branches of the Manila City RTC on August 16, 2024. 

The document further clarified that while Roque was present at RTC Branch 21 on Aug. 15, 2024, in connection with two criminal cases, he did not appear before the court on the following day.

The certification was requested by Arturo Felix Catarata, OIC-committee secretary of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, chaired by Barbers.

During the August 16 hearing, Barbers directed the committee secretariat to verify Roque’s claim by coordinating with the RTC. 

Earlier in the hearing, lawmakers questioned Roque about his business and financial dealings, seeking to establish his connection to POGOs, particularly Lucky South 99.

Batangas Rep. Gerville "Jinky" Luistro questioned Roque about Biancham Holdings and Trading Inc., a family-owned company founded in 2014. 

Initially, Roque and his wife, Mylah, each held 49.9 percent of the company's shares until the majority was transferred to lawyer Percival Ortega, who now holds 99.99 percent.

According to Biancham's audited financial report, the company's cash balance surged from P125,300 in 2014 to P67.7 million in 2018, during the peak of POGOs under the Duterte administration. 

Roque explained that the increase was due to funds he infused from the proceeds of selling a prime piece of land in Parañaque City, originally owned by his aunt and inherited by him and other relatives, but lawmakers appeared unconvinced.

On a motion by Luistro, the committee ordered Roque to submit his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for the years 2016 to 2022, copies of the documents related to the transfer of Biancham's shareholdings, and his 2018 income tax return, which was filed in 2019.

Roque served as spokesperson of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte from November 2017 to October 2018 and again from April 2020 to November 2021.

He recently came under scrutiny after a house in Tuba, Benguet, reportedly owned by him, was raided, resulting in the arrest of two Chinese nationals linked to an illegal POGO operation in Bamban, Tarlac.

During a Senate hearing, Roque admitted having an “interest” in the corporation that owns the Benguet property. The raid was conducted following a tip that a Chinese woman wanted in connection with the Bamban operation was at the house.

Previously, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco revealed that Roque lobbied for a raided POGO in Porac, Pampanga, in July 2023. 

Tengco said that Roque, along with Cassandra Li Ong, a representative of the POGO Lucky South 99, visited his office to discuss the firm’s unpaid arrears amounting to USD500,000.

Ong, who has been apprehended and detained in Indonesia along with Shiela Guo, the sister of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, is the subject of an arrest and detention order by the House after being cited in contempt for repeatedly failing to attend hearings on POGOs despite multiple invitations. (END)